Establishing Project Homecoming
President Trump's proclamation establishes Project Homecoming, a program offering financial incentives – an "exit bonus" – to illegal aliens who voluntarily leave the U.S. The program aims to alleviate financial burdens on taxpayers, restore national sovereignty, and reduce crime. It directs the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to create streamlined departure processes, including subsidized flights.
Additionally, it mandates a significant increase in immigration enforcement and removal operations to address those who do not voluntarily depart.
Arguments For
Reduced Fiscal Burden: The proclamation argues that the program will save billions of taxpayer dollars currently spent on social services for illegal aliens. This is supported by the cited $150 billion figure for FY2023. The implementation method involves providing financial incentives for departure.
Restoring Sovereignty: The document asserts that removing illegal aliens will restore the sovereignty of the United States. This is a core argument throughout the proclamation, though it relies on claims that illegal immigration causes various problems. The legal basis cited is the President's constitutional authority and the INA.
Humanitarian Aspect (Contested): The proclamation frames the offer of financial assistance as a humanitarian gesture, allowing aliens to return home voluntarily with government aid. Evidence cited for this is the stated goal of the Project Homecoming to provide this aid. The implementation method is the provision of free return transportation and an exit bonus. However, whether this truly constitutes a humanitarian aspect is subject to debate. , the implementation method is the provision of free return transportation and an exit bonus.
Arguments Against
Potential for Abuse: The program could be susceptible to fraud or misuse, with individuals falsely claiming illegal status to obtain benefits. This is an important implementation challenge with no readily apparent solution offered in the text.
Human Rights Concerns: Critics might argue that incentivizing voluntary departure could create unfairness and coercion, violating the human rights of vulnerable populations. This impacts ethical consideration and international relations and isn’t addressed in the text.
Effectiveness: The success of the program in significantly reducing the number of illegal aliens depends on several factors, including the participation rate, the effectiveness of communication campaigns, and the resources dedicated to the project. The stated increase of 20,000 enforcement officers implies some skepticism regarding voluntary departure rates.
Unintended Consequences: Increased enforcement measures could lead to heightened fear and mistrust within immigrant communities, undermining efforts towards improved immigration processes in the long run. This is a broad potential consequence not addressed in text.
Over the last 4 years, the United States has endured a full-scale invasion of aliens entering and remaining in the country illegally, causing a relentless onslaught of crime, vagrancy, violence, and death in countless American communities. This lawless invasion has also limited the capacity of American schools and hospitals to provide for American citizens and has diverted billions of dollars in Federal, State, and local social services from Americans in need.
The introductory paragraph sets the stage by framing illegal immigration as a crisis causing widespread problems, impacting safety, social services, and the capacity of schools and hospitals.
It uses strong language to emphasize the severity of the situation.
The continued presence of illegal aliens in our Nation forces American taxpayers to bear a tremendous fiscal burden to support them, including through costs related to healthcare, food stamps, public housing, emergency medical services, education, and shelter, as well as the costs of crimes committed by illegal aliens. In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, these costs were estimated to exceed $150 billion in taxpayer dollars. Removal flights of illegal aliens are a necessary aspect of immigration enforcement and upholding the rule of law, but they require substantial resources and manpower.
This paragraph further emphasizes the financial burden of illegal immigration, citing a specific cost estimate of over $150 billion in FY2023.
It justifies the need for a solution by highlighting the resource intensity of existing removal processes.
Therefore, the provision of financial incentives to encourage and assist aliens illegally in the country to elect to depart from the United States has the potential to save tremendous taxpayer resources, while restoring the sovereignty of our country.
This paragraph presents the proposed solution: offering financial incentives as a cost-effective and sovereignty-restoring measure.
As President, it is my legal obligation to exercise all tools at my disposal to end this invasion, remove the illegal-alien invaders from the United States, and protect the American people. This proclamation establishes Project Homecoming, which will present illegal aliens with a choice: either leave the United States voluntarily, with the support and financial assistance of the Federal Government, or remain and face the consequences.
The President asserts his authority and introduces Project Homecoming, which offers a choice between voluntary departure with assistance or facing enforcement actions.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), hereby proclaim and direct as follows:
This section is the formal declaration of the presidential action, citing legal authority.
Section 1. Free Return Home and CBP Home Application. (a) In furtherance of the purposes of this proclamation, and to facilitate the rapid departure of illegal aliens from the United States, I direct, pursuant to section 215(a)(1) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1185(a)(1)), the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies (agencies), to create seamless processes for illegal aliens to rapidly depart the United States, including through available technological resources, such as the “CBP Home” application.
(b) Any flights provided to illegal aliens voluntarily and permanently departing the United States pursuant to processes established under subsection (a) of this section shall be funded by the Federal Government.
(c) In furtherance of the purposes of this proclamation, and to facilitate the rapid departure of illegal aliens from the United States, I direct, pursuant to section 215(a)(1) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1185(a)(1)), the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to enable the rapid departure of illegal aliens from the United States who currently lack a valid travel document from their countries of citizenship or nationality or who desire to travel to any other country willing to accept their entry.
(d) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall create a concierge service whereby any alien illegally present in the United States may arrive at an airport, with or without appropriate travel documents, book air travel to permanently relocate to a different country, and claim the exit bonus described in section 2 of this proclamation upon their successful return.
Section 1 outlines the process for facilitating the departure: streamlined processes, federally funded flights, assistance for those lacking travel documents, and a "concierge service" to help individuals book and depart.
Sec. 2. Exit Bonus. In furtherance of the purposes of this proclamation, and to facilitate the rapid departure of illegal aliens from the United States, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the heads of all relevant agencies, shall provide financial incentives in the form of an “exit bonus” for each illegal alien who voluntarily and permanently departs the United States.
Section 2 details the financial incentive program, the "exit bonus", to be paid to those who leave voluntarily.
Sec. 3. Penalties for Aliens Who Fail to Depart. (a) The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the heads of other relevant agencies, shall conduct a nationwide communications campaign to notify illegal aliens of the availability of cost-free travel to other countries; the exit bonus; and the sweeping consequences for those who choose to remain illegally present, including removal, prosecution, incarceration, and fines as consistent with applicable law for immigration-related crimes; the garnishment of wages; and the confiscation of savings and personal property, including homes and vehicles.
(b) No later than 60 days after the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall supplement existing enforcement and removal operations by deputizing and contracting with State and local law enforcement officers, former Federal officers, officers and personnel within other Federal agencies, and other individuals to increase the enforcement and removal operations force of the Department of Homeland Security by no less than 20,000 officers in order to conduct an intensive campaign to remove illegal aliens who have failed to depart voluntarily.
Section 3 describes a nationwide communication campaign to inform illegal aliens of the program, and also outlines the consequences for those who choose to remain, including significantly increased enforcement efforts with a 20,000 officer increase.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
This is the formal closing of the proclamation, including the date and the President's signature.
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