Overview

• An HHS notice says a one-time $2,500 relocation stipend will be offered to unaccompanied minors 14 and older who elect to leave the United States.
• The option is expected to roll out first to 17-year-olds and must be approved by an immigration judge, with funds provided only after arrival in the home country.
• An email cited by AP gave eligible teens 24 hours to respond and instructed shelter directors to acknowledge receipt within four hours.
• ICE has rejected claims of a broader deportation operation targeting children that advocates described as “Freaky Friday.”
• Child-welfare advocates warn the cash could distort consent and jeopardize legal protections, noting a recent attempt to repatriate Guatemalan children was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.