Washington, D.C. – Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA) is alarmed by reports of plans to pressure unaccompanied children to “voluntarily” return to countries from which they escaped violence, exploitation, and persecution in exchange for $2,500. By financially incentivizing vulnerable children to relinquish their right to safety, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be engaging in bribery and manipulation — tactics that are morally indefensible.
“Asking a child to decide between their safety and security and $2,500 is coercion disguised as consent,” said LSSNCA CEO Kristyn Peck. “Children, especially those fleeing trauma, are not developmentally capable of making life-alerting decisions under pressure. This is recognized in U.S. laws designed to protect unaccompanied children, regardless of their legal status or nationality.”
We urge DHS and all policymakers to uphold our moral and legal obligations to protect children — not to coerce them into returning to dangerous conditions. Our nation’s commitment should be to safeguard all children from returning to danger.
For more than 50 years, LSSNCA, a faith-based organization that believes all children are deserving of protection, dignity, and care, has provided a safe haven for youth fleeing war and persecution and arriving in the United States without parents or legal guardians. LSSNCA serves unaccompanied children in the Washington, D.C., metro area, placing them in safe and loving foster homes, and prioritizing their safety, well-being, and dignity.
