The Trump administration is offering unaccompanied migrant children a one-time payment of $2,500 to encourage them to leave the United States voluntarily. This information comes from a letter sent to migrant shelters by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Refugee Resettlement. Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the existence of this monetary offer but did not disclose the specific amount.

The letter, dated Friday, specifies that the stipend is available to unaccompanied children aged 14 and older. Initially, the offer is being extended to 17-year-olds. However, children from Mexico are not eligible for this program. The letter also states that children who had already agreed to leave the U.S. as of Friday would still qualify for the payment.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Trump to promote voluntary deportations. In June, the State Department allocated $250 million to the DHS for this purpose, previously offering a $1,000 stipend to migrants who chose to self-deport.

Critics of the program have raised concerns about its implications. Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defence, which provides legal assistance to unaccompanied children, described the offer as a "cruel tactic" that undermines legal protections for these minors. She stated, "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."

Federal law classifies migrant children who arrive at U.S. borders without a parent or legal guardian as unaccompanied. These children are typically placed in government-run shelters until they can be reunited with family members or placed in foster care. As of Thursday, more than 2,100 unaccompanied children were in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

HHS communications director Andrew Nixon stated that the program "gives UACs a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future." He added that any payment would be issued only after an immigration judge approved the request and the child returned to their home country.

The administration's attempts to expedite the deportation of unaccompanied children have faced legal hurdles. Recently, a federal judge ordered a halt to the deportation of unaccompanied Guatemalan children with active immigration cases while legal challenges are ongoing. Since 2019, over 600,000 migrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian, according to government data.