LOS ANGELES, California: The Trump administration is offering unaccompanied migrant children US$2,500 to voluntarily return to their home countries, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters that was sent to migrant shelters.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a monetary offer was being made but did not specify the amount. The payment is the latest in a series of financial incentives introduced under President Donald Trump to encourage voluntary deportations.

In June, the State Department redirected $250 million to DHS for similar programs, offering $1,000 stipends to adult migrants who agreed to "self-deport."

The new initiative targets unaccompanied minors — children who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian. According to the letter, issued Friday by DHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement, the department will provide a "one-time resettlement support stipend of $2,500" to unaccompanied children aged 14 or older who choose to leave.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said the offer would initially be made to 17-year-olds. Children from Mexico are ineligible, but those who had already volunteered to leave as of Friday would qualify, the letter stated.

Immigrant advocates sharply criticized the program, calling it exploitative and unlawful.

"This is a cruel tactic that undermines laws guaranteeing a process to determine whether a child is eligible for U.S. protection," said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, which provides legal assistance to unaccompanied minors. "Unaccompanied children deserve protection, not coercion to return to the same conditions that put their lives at risk."

Under federal law, unaccompanied migrant children are sent to government-run shelters overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) until they can be placed with relatives or foster families. As of October 2, more than 2,100 children were in HHS custody, according to department data.

HHS communications director Andrew Nixon defended the initiative, saying it "gives unaccompanied children a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future." Nixon said payments would be made only after an immigration judge approved the request and the child arrived safely in their home country.

The administration's push to expedite deportations of migrant children has faced multiple legal challenges.

In September, a federal judge barred the government from deporting unaccompanied Guatemalan minors with active immigration cases while a lawsuit over due-process concerns proceeds.

Since 2019, more than 600,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the U.S.–Mexico border, according to government figures.

Critics say the $2,500 incentive risks pressuring children to give up their right to seek asylum. Supporters within the administration argue that it could reduce the backlog in immigration courts and lower shelter costs.

"The goal is to ensure these children have options," Nixon said. "Some genuinely wish to return home."

The DHS has not said when the payments will begin or how many children it expects to participate in the program.