By Jeff Mason and Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Friday plans to sign a proclamation to encourage migrants who are in the United States illegally to voluntarily depart the country, according to a White House official.
The “Project Homecoming” initiative will encourage migrants to “self deport” with the assistance of the federal government and financial support, or face enforcement and penalties, according to the official.
Trump, a Republican, took office in January pledging to deport millions of people but so far has trailed deportations under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. The Biden administration faced high levels of illegal immigration and quickly returned many caught crossing the border, driving up deportation numbers.
The Trump administration has tried to encourage migrants to leave voluntarily by threatening steep fines, trying to strip away legal status, and deporting migrants to notorious prisons in Guantanamo Bay and El Salvador.
The Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that it would offer a $1,000 stipend and travel assistance to migrants who elect to voluntarily leave the country.
Some advocacy groups criticized the stipend and said migrants should consult with an attorney.
A draft of Trump’s proclamation said he would direct “a full-scale, aggressive deportation surge, including with an additional 20,000 officers” for immigrants in the country illegally who refuse to depart.
It was not clear which officers the Trump administration would use for the supplemental force.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
