SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Trump administration is offering a new financial incentive for undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the country, this time targeting children who crossed the border alone without a parent or guardian.
The program offers a one-time $2,500 payment to unaccompanied migrant teenagers 14 and older, but the money would only be paid after they return to their home country.
According to a memo obtained by ABC News, the self-deportation payment option requires approval from an immigration judge. The offer represents the latest move by President Trump to encourage undocumented immigrants to return home voluntarily.
Unaccompanied children are minors who entered the country illegally without an adult such as a parent or legal guardian.
Joel Frost-Tift, a senior supervising immigration attorney for the unaccompanied children's team at Public Counsel, a Los Angeles-based law firm, called the offer "pretty horrifying."
"We're worried that children are going to be put in a very difficult position, pressured to make a decision — a very momentous decision related to their case without having all the info," Frost-Tift said.
His firm represents children in removal proceedings and handles hundreds of such cases.
Frost-Tift expressed concern that children in these situations often don't understand the legal process and may be swayed by their need for money to accept the offer.
"We often see children pressured into signing things that they don't understand, and that aren't even explained to them in their native language," Frost-Tift said.
The attorney also questioned whether participants would actually receive the promised money, citing unfulfilled promises made to adults earlier this year.
"Promises of $1,000 have been made before, and we haven't heard of any cases of people actually receiving the money," Frost-Tift said.
The offer does not apply to minors who aren't in government custody or who are from Mexico.
The administration argues these deportation incentives are more cost-effective than other enforcement methods.
An ICE spokesperson described the program as a "strictly voluntary option" in a statement, noting that the option is first being offered to 17-year-olds.
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