Trump administration offers $1,000 and free transportation to illegal migrants to leave US

Trump administration offers illegal immigrants chance to self-deport

Undocumented aliens will have the chance to be paid $1,000 and have their transportation paid for.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - While the Trump administration following through on its mass deportation campaign promise, this week it offered a way for undocumented immigrants to self-deport and get a $1,000 to do so

A Detroit area church leader disagrees with the removal of migrants as they search for a new beginning in the US.

"They feel they were invited to come," said Robert, a church leader. "They felt the last president told them to come here. They gave up everything they have."

But the Trump administration sees them as law-breakers by being in the country illegally.

"He’s doing what he said he was going to do, he’s trying to make sure that everyone who is here illegally leave the country," said Neal Brand, an immigration attorney. "It’s a very scary time right now for people who do not have permission to be here."

This week the Trump administration announced it would pay people in the US illegally to voluntarily deport and return to their country of origin.

"They’re using an application started by the Biden administration," said Neal Brand, immigration attorney. "Trump is using the application along with a thousand-dollar payments to get people to try to leave the country."

The Trump administration says this option is the best and safest way to leave the country in order to avoid arrest.

FOX 2: "Would you say that this is better than living in fear?"

"Some people don’t want to live in fear and want to be free of this, but other people have ways of hiding or staying out of the public view," Brand said.

In addition to the monetary payment, the US government is also providing travel assistance.

But Brand advises people who are undocumented to find an attorney before making any decision.

"On a case-by-case basis," he said. "It might not make sense for some people to take advantage of it, while for others it might make for a great idea."

The government says self-deportation may help preserve the option to come back to the US legally.

Brand says not to count on that.

"The promise to return is only based on whether or not they have a legal way to return such as a US citizen's spouse," he said.

Legal experts say some undocumented immigrants have a legal pathway to stay in the US.

"There might be paperwork if they could file such as asylum," he said.

Advocates say they want the Trump administration to find a better way to support those who are not here legally.

"It would be fair to give them an opportunity to stay," Robert said. "At least find a way to vet the good ones. And if they’re bad people, then I don’t have a problem with sending them home."