President Donald Trump has signalled a shift in his immigration policy, indicating a willingness to provide financial assistance and a plane ticket to any undocumented immigrant choosing to “self-deport,” particularly those considered “good.”
Trump, known for his hardline stance on immigration, had vowed during his campaign to carry out widespread deportations. Yet, in a pre-recorded interview with Fox Noticias broadcast on Tuesday, he revealed that his administration is currently prioritising the removal of “murderers” from the U.S. He also plans to roll out “a self-deportation program.”
Details about the proposed plan, including when it might be implemented, were sparse, but Trump did mention that the U.S. would cover the cost of airfare and provide a financial incentive.
“We’re going to give them a stipend. We’re going to give them some money and a plane ticket, and then we’re going to work with them – if they’re good – if we want them back in, we’re going to work with them to get them back in as quickly as we can,” Trump told Rachel Campos-Duffy of Fox Noticias in the Monday interview, reports the Mirror US.
The proposal also aims to support key sectors like agriculture and hospitality by helping them find the right workers. Trump stated that his administration will identify potential candidates to fill essential roles, which would be a significant relief for farmers.
He emphasized the need to assist hotels and farms in securing the necessary workforce, highlighting that this would eventually allow undocumented workers to leave and re-enter the US legally. He has vowed to set a record for deporting migrants living in the US without authorization and has taken steps to increase arrests and deportations, testing the limits of US law.
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Additionally, his administration has encouraged immigrants to participate in their own removal by asking them to declare their “intent to depart” using the CBP Home app provided by US Customs and Border Protection. To underscore Trump’s agenda, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held a press conference on Wednesday with Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, who was tragically killed in 2023 while jogging on a popular hiking trail near Baltimore.
Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a fugitive from El Salvador accused of entering the US illegally after allegedly killing another woman in his home country, was convicted by a jury on Monday of raping and killing Rachel Morin and concealing her body in a drainage culvert. Leavitt had previously announced the unscheduled briefing with a “special guest.”
Morin opened up about her experience of being left uninformed about her daughter’s death, as authorities maintained they were safeguarding the integrity of the case. In a quiet briefing room, she disclosed the eerie details leading up to her daughter’s tragic end.
Leavitt has been spotlighting the Morin case for several days. She voiced her annoyance over the perceived lack of attention it received compared to the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
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