"Time to Go Home": U.S. Releases Video Urging Russian Migrants to Voluntarily Leave

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released in August 2025 the third series of promotional videos urging illegal migrants to voluntarily leave the country, FAIR reports. These ads are broadcast in multiple languages across the U.S. and abroad, including Russian.

The 30-second version shows individuals and families boarding planes back to their home countries. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem explains that illegal migrants can choose to leave voluntarily, receiving a free ticket and the possibility of legally returning in the future. She warns that those who refuse face detention, fines, arrest, and forced removal. The video ends with the message: "Under strong leadership from President Trump, we are enforcing the law and securing our border."

The 60-second version highlights the contrast between the "easy" and "hard" way to leave: "One way or another, you will be on a plane home. How you get there is up to you," Noem says. She stresses that some have already made "the right choice" and left voluntarily, while those who remain risk hefty fines and deportation. This message echoes a 90-second White House video from March, in which President Trump stated: "People in our country illegally can self-deport the easy way or be deported the hard way — and it’s unpleasant."

The Russian-language version also mentions the CBP Home mobile app for arranging departure without penalties, with a free airline ticket and an additional $1,000 compensation. Russian citizens illegally residing in the U.S. are urged to leave and preserve the possibility of return.

Deportations of Russians have already taken place. In one case, Leonid Melekhin from Perm, wanted in Russia as a terrorist and extremist, was arrested upon arrival. He had previously been detained multiple times for participating in unauthorized rallies and working with Alexei Navalny’s team (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia). In August 2024, Melekhin attempted to cross the Mexico-U.S. border, was detained, and spent several months in a U.S. immigration center. After losing his asylum case, he was handed over to Russian authorities. On July 25, 2025, the Leninsky District Court of Perm granted an FSB investigator’s request to detain him until September 25.

The CBP Home app — formerly known as CBP One — was originally intended to help those entering the U.S. from Mexico schedule appointments and streamline processing, including for asylum seekers. With Trump’s return to power, stricter border rules were introduced and the program was repurposed as part of the voluntary departure campaign.

The campaign began in February 2025 with videos highlighting restored safety in American communities. The second series, released in April, focused on crimes committed by foreign nationals and the increase in arrests under Trump. Noem declared at the time that the Biden-era “open border” policy was over, and that "America’s laws, borders, and families will be protected."

The initiative has drawn international criticism, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum calling it “discriminatory propaganda.” DHS officials, however, maintain it is an effective deterrent. In April, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the ads were “working” and that illegal border crossings had dropped to historic lows. In July, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller reported that up to one million people had left voluntarily. The Trump administration sees the campaign as a crucial tool for deporting millions of illegal migrants and ending the era of mass unlawful immigration.