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(Bloomberg) – The Trump administration is preparing to start a program that will voluntarily offer money to migrant teenagers in federal custody in exchange for returning to its domestic countries, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The initiative will begin with 17 -year -old children and provide $ 2,500 to minors who choose to leave the US after an immigration judge and they reach their native country, said a person familiar with the case who spoke on the situation of anonymity.
HHS, which oversees the refugee rehabilitation office, said in a statement that the program was designed to provide options for children who were brought to the US without their families.
Officials said that its purpose is to give unaccounted minors, many of whom were smuggled into the country without any option, is the ability to decide whether to return home. He described the initiative as voluntary and said it would allow children to take an informed decision about their future.
Advocates and immigration lawyers warned this week that this effort could move beyond 17 -year -old children, possibly reaching children at the age of 14. He said that they worry that the program may pressurize minors to withdraw applications for safety, such as refuge, and legal safety measures that usually mold children from exile before they are 18 years old.
Wendy Young, the Chairman of the Legal Aid & Advocke Group Kids in Need of Defense, described the proposal as “arrogant misuse of power”.
“This operation weakens laws that guarantee the process for unaccounted children, and it runs the counter for the weakest commitment among us for our country’s longest commitment – children – children – children – violence, smuggling, abuse, harassment and other serious threats,” said. “We urge the DHS to stop its operation immediately and ensure that each child in American custody has access to the rights and security inherent in the US law.”
Immigrant children are generally provided high levels of security under the US law, including a decades -old court disposal that limits the government’s ability to detain them. Like adults in immigration proceedings, a lawyer is not guaranteed to help children navigate the system.
By August, the government reported that about 2,000 immigrant children were average in taking care of HHS refugee rehabilitation office.
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