Immigration advocates outraged over federal offer for kids to “self deport”
Immigration advocates outraged over federal offer for kids to “self deport”
02:20
A new federal government offer is causing concern and outrage among immigration advocates.Â
An internal federal notice sent by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and obtained by CBS News, said the Department of Homeland Security “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.”
According to National Immigrant Justice Center, the operation dubbed “Freaky Friday” online, Â appears to affect a limited group of children who arrived in the United States as “unaccompanied children.”
Once the children arrive in the United States, they are placed in shelters or foster care run by the Officer of Refugee Resettlement which is part of HHS.
The notice sent by HHS Friday said the $2,500 government bonus “is intended to support reintegration efforts following departure.” Voluntary departure is a special legal process for unaccompanied children and all such cases need to be approved by an immigration judge.Â
Attorneys and advocates say the program would put children in danger- and that most are too young to understand and make the decision on their own.Â
“It’s very dangerous situations they are in and it takes a lot for a person to leave their home in the first place,” said Executive Director Jane Graupman, International Institute of Minnesota.
Immigration Attorney Gloria Contreas Edin represents 77 of those children.
“I do have serious concerns,” Edin said.
Graupman wants people to know that this initiative could send kids back to unsafe environments they risked their lives to escape. “Part of the work we are doing is getting out the word that families really need to get legal help.”
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