The Trump administration has stated that it is offering a $2,500 stipend to children who voluntarily return to their home countries after illegally entering the United States unaccompanied.

On Oct. 3, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told migrant shelters that immigration officers have identified unaccompanied children aged 14 and older in federal custody who have expressed interest in leaving the country, according to a letter obtained by the Associated Press.

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide a one-time resettlement support stipend of $2,500 ... to unaccompanied alien children, 14 years of age and older, who have elected to voluntarily depart the United States as of the date of this notice and moving forward,” the letter reads, noting that the payment is meant to “support reintegration efforts following departure.”

The memo clarified that the benefit does not apply to children who are no longer in shelters run by HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement and that children from Mexico are not eligible, according to the AP.

There were more than 2,100 children in HHS shelters as of Oct. 2, according to the department’s online dashboard.

When asked about the initiative, the details of which have not been officially publicized, the DHS referred The Epoch Times to a statement from Emily Covington, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to Covington, the offer would initially apply to 17-year-olds, and any payment would only be issued after an immigration judge approves the voluntary departure and the child arrives in their home country.

“Many of these UACs [unaccompanied alien children] had no choice when they were dangerously smuggled into this country,” she said in the statement.

“ICE and the Office of Refugee and Resettlement at HHS are offering a strictly voluntary option to return home to their families. This voluntary option gives UACs a choice and allows them to make an informed decision about their future.”

In the statement, Covington also rejected claims circulating on social media, including that children who decline the offer could see their parents or relatives in the United States arrested or that ICE would target children who had been released from shelters. She dismissed them as “categorically false.”

These allegations are meant to “instill fear and spread misinformation” that fuels violence against immigration officers, she said.

The stipend comes as the Trump administration continues to accelerate the removal of illegal immigrants through both enforcement actions and self-deportations.

Since May, the DHS has offered adults illegally living in the United States a $1,000 “self-deportation bonus,” along with a free plane ticket, if they agree to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.

“Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App,” the DHS said in a post on X.

“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”