This week, it was announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering a bonus to any illegals who self-deport, tripling the usual stipend of $1,000 to anyone who self-deports.
Then a group of Catholic bishops made a plea to the Trump administration to halt deportations over Christmas altogether.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem declined the request, then she released a rather creative video to back up her stance.
DHS has decided to offer a small Christmas bonus to all illegal immigrants if they choose to go back across the border on their own. The agency announced a $3,000 holiday bonus to all self-deportees.
Noem stated, “Since January 2025, 1.9 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program. During the Christmas Season, the U.S. taxpayer is so generously TRIPLING the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally- offering a $3,000 exit bonus, but just until the end of the year.”
Her announcement continued, “Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.”
Florida's Catholic bishops have made a holiday appeal to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Trump administration to halt deportations over the holiday season.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski spoke on behalf of the group, stating, "The border has been secured. The initial work of identifying and removing dangerous criminals has been accomplished to a great degree. Over half a million people have been deported this year, and nearly two million more have voluntarily self-deported."
He continued, "At this point, the maximum enforcement approach of treating irregular immigrants en masse means that now many of these arrest operations inevitably sweep up numbers of people who are not criminals but just here to work. It should be noted that a significant majority of those detained in Alligator Alcatraz have no criminal background."
He later concluded, "Such a pause would show a decent regard for the humanity of these families. Now is not the time to be callous toward the suffering caused by immigration enforcement."
The good bishop seems to neglect the fact that once you cross the border illegally, you are a criminal, so his statement is not correct. I also don’t believe the Catholic Church needs to be sticking its nose into our politics, but that is just me.
Not only did the Trump administration say no, but then Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) got involved, putting out a holiday video of its own in what may be one of the greatest trolls of all time.
The video depicts Santa saddling up as an agent, sending the illegal back on “ICE Air.”
AVOID ICE AIR AND SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST!
Self-deport today with the CBP Home app, earn $3,000 and spend Christmas at home with loved ones.
Holiday incentive is valid through the end of 2025. pic.twitter.com/v80QAaKquD
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) December 22, 2025
Now, we all know how Democrats are going to react to this, but as I have stated many times, while I am open to negotiating a deal with Democrats, until they sit down for reasonable talks, we need to keep deporting the illegals. It would be far better optics to only go after the hardcore criminals, but none of these people should be in this country. You cannot reward someone for breaking the law, or, as we saw during the Biden administration, more people will break that law. Merry Christmas!
