The Donald Trump administration is reportedly offering unaccompanied migrant children cash payments if they agree to leave the U.S.
DHS Confirms Stipend Program, Report Says
According to a letter sent Friday to migrant shelters by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement, the agency is providing a "one-time resettlement support stipend" for children aged 14 or older who voluntarily depart the country, reported Reuters.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement official confirmed the offer and an official said the program is being extended first to 17-year-olds, according to the report.
The stipend would only be paid once an immigration judge approves the request and the child returns to their home country, DHS officials said. Children from Mexico are excluded from the program.
Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.
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Critics Say Children Deserve Protection
Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, a nonprofit providing legal support to unaccompanied minors, condemned the move, calling it a "cruel tactic."
"Unaccompanied children seeking safety in the United States deserve our protection rather than being coerced into agreeing to return back to the very conditions that placed their lives and safety at risk," she told Reuters.
Federal law requires that migrant children who arrive without parents or legal guardians be placed in shelters or foster care while their cases proceed.
As of Thursday, more than 2,100 unaccompanied children were in U.S. government custody, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Trump's Broader Immigration Crackdown
The stipend program comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to accelerate deportations. In June, the State Department shifted $250 million to DHS to fund voluntary deportations, with migrants who self-deported receiving $1,000 stipends.
The administration's efforts have already faced legal hurdles. A federal judge last month ordered officials to halt deportations of unaccompanied Guatemalan minors with active cases.
Since 2019, more than 600,000 children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian, according to government data.
Linked Legal Battles Over Birthright Citizenship
Last month, the White House asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legality of an executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Federal judges have issued injunctions against the order, citing constitutional concerns under the 14th Amendment.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga
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