Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
DHS begins targeting unaccompanied children with 'voluntary' deportation offer

The Department of Homeland Security has begun targeting unaccompanied children in the immigration system with what they call a “voluntary option” to return to their countries of origin.
Lawyers representing children who entered the country apart from their immediate family have told LAist they are deeply concerned about the program because it appears children will be asked to waive their rights to see an immigration judge before being removed from the country.
This effort by DHS comes after the department attempted earlier this year to stop funding a program to provide legal support to children in the immigration system. All funding to the program was halted in March but ordered by District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín to resume in April in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and federal policies. Last month, 76 undocumented minors were nearly flown to Guatemala in the middle of the night, before the deportations were stopped by District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan.
Representatives for DHS and HHS have not immediately responded to LAist’s requests for comment.
What we know so far
Unverified reports spread through social media and immigration rights advocate circles Thursday, citing supposedly leaked information about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement action called “Operation Freaky Friday” set to begin today.
The reports suggested ICE was planning to send “offer” letters to unaccompanied children in the immigration system 14 years and older, where they would be promised $2,500 in return for waiving their rights to see an immigration judge.
It was also claimed that if children refused the offer they would be detained upon turning 18 and their family members living in the U.S. would also be arrested. Plans to threaten detention or arrest have not been independently verified by LAist.
In a social media post today, a spokesperson for DHS denied the name of the operation, saying that it was made up by “anti-ICE activists,” but acknowledged that there is now a program in place that is similar in some regard to what was shared in the unverified reports.
“ICE and the Office of Refugee and Resettlement at HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] are offering a strictly voluntary option to return home to their families,” the DHS account wrote, also referencing an option for “access to financial support when returning home.”
Unaccompanied children are required to be transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee and Resettlement, known as ORR, shortly after they are detained by DHS according to a legal settlement made by the federal government in 1997.
In an email from HHS to legal service providers that was shared with LAist, HHS confirmed that DHS will provide $2,500 to undocumented children 14 years or older who take the offer, excluding minors from Mexico or those who have left their custody.
What lawyers are saying
Yasmin Yavar, deputy director for the American Bar Association’s Children’s Immigration Law Academy, told LAist that children who take this offer could end up waiving their rights.
“[The offer is] problematic because they are giving up their opportunity to be before a judge,” Yavar said, adding that children may not understand the consequences of that choice.
Yavar said that children who are detained and in the custody of ORR are supposed to get a “Know your Rights” presentation and be able to consult with an attorney to provide information about their rights and responsibilities.
Mickey Donovan-Kaloust, legal services director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, told LAist in an emailed statement that they represent hundreds of unaccompanied children and that the $2,500 incentive “has the potential to exploit their unique vulnerabilities as unaccompanied minors in government custody.”
The DHS social media post defended the move saying many unaccompanied children had no choice in coming to the U.S. and would be returning to family outside the country.
Multiple lawyers who spoke to LAist said that unaccompanied children commonly live with family in the U.S., and that federal regulations direct ORR to prioritize releasing children to parents or immediate family members in the country while they go through immigration court.
-
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is jrynning.56.
- You can follow this link to reach me there or type my username in the search bar after starting a new chat.
- For instructions on getting started with Signal, see the app's support page.
- And if you're comfortable just reaching out by email I'm at jrynning@scpr.org
Some lawyers say that taking this offer could put children at greater risk.
“ It is really difficult to explain to kids what their rights are in not just clear language, but also child-friendly language,” said spokesperson Bilal Askaryar from the Acacia Center for Justice. He said the idea that an agent with no background in child welfare could get their informed consent to sign something that returns them to danger is “deeply troubling and it's cruel.”
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
USC says it’s reviewing the letter also sent to eight other prestigious schools nationwide. California's governor vowed that any California universities that sign will lose state funding.
-
Scientists say La Niña is likely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a dry winter in Southern California.
-
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity.
-
The landslide is not connected to the greater Portuguese Bend landslide, city officials said.
-
Nom. Nom. Nom. The event destroyed the internet when it was first announced — and sold out in minutes.
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems.