In a controversial new move, the Trump administration is offering $2,500 to migrant children willing to return to their home countries on their own.
Emails obtained by the Associated Press show the Department of Health and Human Services offered this one-time payment to unaccompanied minors aged 14 and up. The stipend is pitched as “resettlement support” for those who choose to voluntarily leave the U.S.
Children were given 24 hours to respond. Shelter directors had just four hours to confirm receipt of the offer.
“This voluntary option gives UACs a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future,” said Emily Covington from ICE. She added, “Any payment to support a return home would be provided after an immigration judge grants the request and the individual arrives in their country of origin.”
The policy was first rolled out to 17-year-olds, expanding on a similar $1,000 offer made to adult migrants earlier this year.
Advocates are not on board.
“There is no legitimate reason for the government to affirmatively provide children with this option and incentivize it with a financial payoff,” said Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law.
Critics say the offer puts pressure on vulnerable children, many of whom are fleeing trauma. Legal aid to these youth has also been under threat. A federal judge recently blocked efforts to halt funding for those services.
“Legal services for vulnerable children are more crucial than ever,” said the Acacia Center for Justice.
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