The payment is meant to support the children’s reintegration into their home countries, federal officials said.
The Trump administration said it is offering a $2,500 stipend to children who voluntarily return to their home countries after illegally entering the United States unaccompanied.
On Oct. 3, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told migrant shelters that immigration officers have identified unaccompanied children aged 14 and older in federal custody who have expressed interest in leaving the country, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press (AP).
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide a one-time resettlement support stipend of $2,500 … to unaccompanied alien children, 14 years of age and older, who have elected to voluntarily depart the United States as of the date of this notice and moving forward,” the letter stated, adding that the payment is meant to “support reintegration efforts following departure.”
The memo clarified that the benefit does not apply to children who are no longer in shelters run by HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, and that children from Mexico are not eligible, according to the AP.
There were over 2,100 children in HHS shelters as of Oct. 2, according to the department’s online dashboard.
When asked about the initiative, the details of which have not been officially publicized, DHS referred The Epoch Times to a statement from Emily Covington, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to Covington, the offer would initially apply to 17-year-olds, and any payment would only be issued after an immigration judge approves the voluntary departure and the child arrives in their home country.
“Many of these UACs [unaccompanied alien children] had no choice when they were dangerously smuggled into this country,” Covington said in the statement.
“ICE and the Office of Refugee and Resettlement at HHS are offering a strictly voluntary option to return home to their families. This voluntary option gives UACs a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future.”
In the statement, Covington also rejected claims circulating on social media, including that children who decline the offer could see their parents or relatives in the United States arrested, or that ICE would target children who had been released from shelters. She dismissed them as “categorically false.”
These allegations, she said, are meant to “instill fear and spread misinformation” that fuels violence against immigration officers.
The stipend comes as the Trump administration continues to accelerate the removal of illegal immigrants through both enforcement actions and self-deportations.
By Bill Pan
