Trump Administration Offers $2,500 to Migrant Children

The Trump administration is offering a one-time $2,500 “resettlement support” stipend to unaccompanied migrant children aged 14 and older (initially targeted to 17‑year‑olds) who voluntarily agree to return home, excluding children from Mexico and those no longer in government custody; payments would be made only after an immigration judge approves the request and the child has returned to their country. Notices sent to shelters reportedly gave extremely short response windows—sometimes as little as 24 hours or requests for acknowledgements within four hours—prompting advocates to warn the cash could coerce vulnerable youths into foregoing legal relief. The move is part of a broader push to accelerate voluntary deportations, following a $250 million transfer to DHS and earlier $1,000 stipends for adults, and comes while roughly 2,100 unaccompanied children remain in federal care. Immigration lawyers, child‑welfare advocates and nonprofits called the policy “cruel” and potentially coercive, and the administration’s efforts have already encountered legal challenges and court interventions. DHS, HHS and ICE say the stipend is intended to support reintegration and would only be provided after judicial approval and confirmed return.