Overview

• An HHS memo confirms a one-time $2,500 relocation stipend for unaccompanied foreign minors age 14 or older who opt for voluntary departure.
• Officials say the option will be offered first to 17-year-olds and must be approved by an immigration judge.
• ICE states payments would be issued only after a judge grants voluntary departure and the youth arrives in their country of origin.
• Shelters were notified rapidly, with reports of 24-hour response windows for eligible youths and no clear start date or full eligibility details.
• Child-rights advocates warn the cash offer could pressure vulnerable teens and conflict with protections under laws like the TVPRA, noting a recent court order that halted planned returns of Guatemalan children.