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On Friday, ICE kicked off a scheme to offer thousands of dollars to unaccompanied children as young as 14 in exchange for agreeing to be deported.

With deportation continuing apace amid the federal government shutdown, advocates speculated that the latest scheme to pay off immigrant children was deliberately timed by ICE and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, to minimize public attention.

“The idea that immigration enforcement agents can coerce children into waiving their rights and protections under this memo to meet President Trump’s political goals is cruel,” said Bilal Askaryar, director of communications at Acacia Center for Justice.

Advocates have urged immigrants, especially children, not to sign any documents that attempt to threaten or incentivize children to waive their rights without first seeking legal advice.

Read @jonahmv.bsky.social's full article on the government memo to immigrant aid groups obtained by The Intercept here: