U.S. PLANS $2,500 INCENTIVE FOR UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT TEENS TO RETURN HOME
Read Time:1 Minute, 38 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to launch a new initiative that will offer unaccompanied migrant teenagers a one-time payment of $2,500 if they voluntarily return to their home countries, CNN reported on Saturday.
According to an internal administration memo cited by the outlet, the pilot programme will initially target 17-year-old migrants and will require approval from an immigration judge before any departure is authorised.
The payment will be disbursed only after the minor’s safe arrival in their home country and is intended to assist with “reintegration efforts.”
The proposed plan builds on an existing voluntary return scheme introduced during the Trump administration, which currently offers $1,000 “exit bonuses” to undocumented adults who opt for self-deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has defended the policy, describing it as a cost-effective alternative to prolonged detention and formal deportation proceedings.
“This programme is strictly voluntary and allows minors to make an informed decision about their future,” an ICE spokesperson said.
As of October 2, approximately 2,100 unaccompanied minors remain in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awaiting placement or immigration hearings.
However, the proposed incentive has drawn sharp criticism from immigrant rights advocates, who warn that paying children to leave could violate protections for vulnerable minors under U.S. immigration law.
“There is no legitimate reason for the government to incentivise voluntary departure with a financial payoff,” said Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law, calling the initiative “a troubling precedent.”
Advocates argue that the plan could pressure children into returning to unsafe or unstable environments, undermining humanitarian obligations toward asylum seekers.
While DHS insists the programme aims to reduce detention costs and streamline immigration processing, critics say it raises serious ethical and legal concerns about the treatment of migrant children in federal custody and the broader direction of U.S. immigration policy.
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