Trump offers cash and a plane ride to immigrants ready to leave — and a ticket back if they're ‘good’

US President Donald Trump said he would launch a “self-deportation” programme offering money and air tickets to undocumented immigrants who voluntarily leave the United States. In an interview aired on Fox Noticias on Tuesday, Trump said the plan would also provide a pathway for returning “good” individuals legally.

In a shift from his earlier hardline immigration stance, Trump said the current focus is on deporting “murderers” and that others in the country without legal status would be encouraged to leave on their own with assistance. “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 said during the taped interview.

The details of the proposed program, including implementation timeline and criteria for eligibility, were not specified.

The conversation featured a clip of a Mexican man who entered the US over two decades ago and has children who are American citizens. The man, who is reportedly undocumented, expressed support for Trump and said individuals who commit crimes should be sent back to their home countries.

Responding to the clip, Trump said, “I look at this man. I say, this is a guy that we want to keep,” and added, “I'll probably take heat for saying it.” He also stated, “I don't think he's in any danger of it,” when asked about the man’s deportation status.

Trump further mentioned the need to support sectors like agriculture and hospitality by helping them find suitable workers. “We’re doing a self-deportation and we’re going to make it comfortable for people,” he said. “And we’re going to work with those people to come back into our country legally.”

Fox Noticias said the interview was recorded on Monday.