Anabelle Colaco
07 Oct 2025, 19:01 GMT+10
LOS ANGELES, California: The Trump administration is offering unaccompanied migrant children US$2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters that was sent to migrant shelters.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a monetary offer was being made but did not specify the amount. The payment is the latest in a series of financial incentives introduced under President Donald Trump to encourage voluntary deportations.
In June, the State Department redirected $250 million to DHS for similar programs, offering $1,000 stipends to adult migrants who agreed to "self-deport."
The new initiative targets unaccompanied minors — children who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian. According to the letter, issued Friday by DHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement, the department will provide a "one-time resettlement support stipend of $2,500" to unaccompanied children aged 14 or older who choose to leave.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said the offer would initially be made to 17-year-olds. Children from Mexico are ineligible, but those who had already volunteered to leave as of Friday would qualify, the letter stated.
Immigrant advocates sharply criticized the program, calling it exploitative and unlawful.
"This is a cruel tactic that undermines laws guaranteeing a process to determine whether a child is eligible for U.S. protection," said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, which provides legal assistance to unaccompanied minors. "Unaccompanied children deserve protection, not coercion to return to the same conditions that put their lives at risk."
Under federal law, unaccompanied migrant children are sent to government-run shelters overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) until they can be placed with relatives or foster families. As of October 2, more than 2,100 children were in HHS custody, according to department data.
HHS communications director Andrew Nixon defended the initiative, saying it "gives unaccompanied children a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future." Nixon said payments would be made only after an immigration judge approved the request and the child arrived safely in their home country.
The administration's push to expedite deportations of migrant children has faced multiple legal challenges.
In September, a federal judge barred the government from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan minors with active immigration cases while a lawsuit over due-process concerns proceeds.
Since 2019, more than 600,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the U.S.–Mexico border, according to government figures.
Critics say the $2,500 incentive risks pressuring children to give up their right to seek asylum. Supporters within the administration argue that it could reduce the backlog in immigration courts and lower shelter costs.
"The goal is to ensure these children have options," Nixon said. "Some genuinely wish to return home."
The DHS has not said when the payments will begin or how many children it expects to participate in the program.
Get a daily dose of South America Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to South America Times.
More InformationLOS ANGELES, California: The Trump administration is offering unaccompanied migrant children US$2,500 to voluntarily return to their...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The Netherlands' highest court has ordered the government to reassess its suspended license for exporting F-35...
(Pictured: Sergeant Alon Amitay, 21, of Ramot Naftali; Sergeant Omri Tamari, 19, of Mazkeret Batya; Sergeant Yosef Hieb , 19, of Tuba-Zangariyye;...
PARIS, France - France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu who was sworn in just a month ago, has resigned. The country's fifth...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: The parents of a 19-year-old college student killed in a Tesla crash have filed a lawsuit claiming she was...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On the morning of October 2, as thousands of federal employees remained at home facing furloughs and the looming...
Venezuelan extremists plan to attack the shuttered US diplomatic mission in the capital, the countrys top lawmaker has said Venezuela...
The move could pave the way for an attempt to force President Nicolas Maduro out of power, the report says ...
The move could pave the way for an attempt to force President Nicolas Maduro out of power, the report says US President Donald Trump...
Washington DC [US], October 7 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said he had a 'great' phone call with Brazil's...
(Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images) Los Angeles FC has clinched homefield advantage for the first round and can still finish...
Guadalajara [Mexico], October 7 (ANI): The Guadalajara Film Festival in Los Angeles has set Guillermo del Toro's gothic horror drama...
