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2h ago

U.S. Offers $2,500 to Unaccompanied Migrant Children Who Opt for Voluntary Return

Officials describe the judge-vetted option as voluntary for teens in federal custody.

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Migrant children spend time in a recreation area outside Casa Presidente, an immigrant shelter for unaccompanied minors, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 23, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle is parked outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Broadview, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Overview

  • HHS and DHS notified shelters Friday that unaccompanied children in ORR custody who choose voluntary departure can receive a one-time $2,500 resettlement stipend.
  • Eligibility in the notice covers ages 14 and up, with officials saying the rollout starts with 17-year-olds, and Mexican nationals are not eligible.
  • Funds would be paid only after an immigration judge approves the request and the child arrives in the country of origin.
  • Shelter directors were asked to acknowledge the notice within four hours, and children were given 24 hours to respond to the offer.
  • Advocacy groups warn the cash could pressure children to give up legal claims; roughly 2,100 minors are in HHS care, and the plan extends earlier DHS self-deportation incentives including $1,000 payments for adults and a $250 million funding shift.