What does 'remigrate' mean? US homeland security department under fire over post on self-deportation

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The Department of Homeland Security triggered controversy after a brief but explosive post from its verified account on X. The message contained only one word -- "Remigrate" -- and linked to a federal webpage that promotes voluntary self-deportation. The post quickly went viral, drawing more than 5 million views and frustration from immigration rights groups who argued that the term has troubling roots.

According to a report by Times Now, critics reacted sharply, warning that the word is closely connected to ideology pushed by far-right movements in Europe. Civil rights advocates pointed out that the DHS under the Trump administration appears to be adopting language associated with racial extremism, the report said.

What does remigrate refer to?

So what does the term actually refer to? In Europe, far-right activists use "remigration" as a concept that goes far beyond people returning to their home countries by choice, the report said. It has been used to promote large-scale removal of immigrants, often along racial or ethnic lines.

One of the key figures behind the term’s spread is Austrian activist Martin Sellner of the Identitarian Movement. He has promoted what he called a "master plan" that would involve forcing out immigrants and even their children born in Europe.

According to the report, the phrase has also been echoed by politicians such as Alice Weidel of Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Herbert Kickl in Austria. In those political arenas, the term typically targets non-white communities and has been condemned by moderates throughout Europe.

Remigrate.

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 14, 2025

The appearance of the word in U.S. policy circles is more recent. Axios reported in May that the State Department had discussed creating an "Office of Remigration." That office, according to the report, would be part of a large restructuring shift and would move the agency’s focus away from providing refugee support toward policies that actively remove migrants.

The proposed office would sit inside the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. Critics argue that this would mark a drastic departure from the bureau’s long-standing humanitarian role.

Reaction to the DHS post broke sharply along political lines. Supporters of Donald Trump praised the message as a strong step toward immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, opponents including California Governor Gavin Newsom attacked the post. Newsom called out what he saw as hypocrisy, noting that Donald Trump’s own family came to the United States from Germany and Scotland.

The message from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s department sparked a larger conversation about what direction U.S. immigration policy is heading and whether language borrowed from European far-right ideology is becoming normalized in official government messaging, the report said.