Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) discussed President Donald Trump's plan to pay illegal aliens $1000 each to self-deport in a recent appearance on One America News's Matt Gaetz Show, calling it "brilliant" and touching on Democratic insistence that deported illegals receive "due process."
Rep. Crane posted the clip on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Last night, I joined @mattgaetz to discuss President Trump's self-deportation plan, finishing the wall, USAID, and more. Illegal aliens who skipped the line to get into America are not entitled to due process on their way out."
Last night, I joined @mattgaetz to discuss President Trump's self-deportation plan, finishing the wall, USAID, and more.
Illegal aliens who skipped the line to get into America are not entitled to due process on their way out. pic.twitter.com/3g5C0XAfYr
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) May 7, 2025
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The Trump Administration launched the initiative earlier this week, saying it would be cheaper to encourage illegal aliens to remove themselves from the country with $1000 and a free flight to another country than it is for the government to deport them, which is estimated to be $17,000 per individual.
"I think it is brilliant," Rep. Crane told Gaetz, adding, "When you look at how much the Trump Administration is offering and what it would actually save the American taxpayer when you look at how much money actually goes into trying to deport an illegal alien, I think the number is like $17,000, as opposed to this new plan, it would be roughly, a couple thousand. So I think it is wise, and I am not surprised to see an administration that is led by a businessman proposing such commonsense solutions."
Gaetz then noted that Democratic calls for "due process" for illegal aliens being deported seem to be holding individual trials for each alien. With approximately 20 million in the country, it "is totally unfeasible."
Crane agreed, calling it "interesting" and likely implying there was an irony to it.
"Many of these folks who jumped the line to get in here while millions of people are trying to go through the process legally now want due process on their way out," Crane said, adding, "I think that they should be put on a plane and be sent back home."
In March, the Trump Administration retooled the controversial CBP One app into the "CBP Home" app, which allowed illegal aliens to self-deport via the app.
