The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to offer unaccompanied migrant teenagers in the U.S. a $2,500 payment if they voluntarily return to their home countries, CNN reports.
According to an administration memo, the initiative would begin with 17-year-old migrants and require approval from an immigration judge.
The payment would be issued after arrival in their home country to help with “reintegration efforts.”
The Trump administration already provides $1,000 “exit bonuses” to undocumented adults who choose self-deportation, citing the approach as more cost-effective than detention and deportation.
An ICE spokesperson confirmed that the program is “strictly voluntary” and allows minors “to make an informed decision about their future.”
As of October 2, roughly 2,100 unaccompanied minors were in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Critics, however, argue that paying children to leave undermines long-standing protections for vulnerable migrant youths under U.S. law.
“There is no legitimate reason for the government to incentivize voluntary departure with a financial payoff,” said Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law.
Immigrant advocates warn the policy could pressure children to return to unsafe conditions, reigniting debates over how the administration handles unaccompanied minors at the border.
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