Morning Report — Trump offers to pay migrants to exit US

The Hill

06-05-2025

In today's issue:
U.S. to migrants without legal status: Cash out
Trump budget, tariffs rattle GOP lawmakers
Gubernatorial races to watch in 2026
Israel plans full, indefinite Gaza takeover
President Trump returned to an issue that helped him win the White House twice when he offered on Monday to pay migrants who lack legal status a chance to exit the U.S. of their own volition.
Washington also is discussing with far-flung nations, including Rwanda, whether their governments will accept migrants deported by the U.S.
The border ' is the most secure it's ever been in the history of our country,' Trump said during an NBC News interview broadcast on Sunday. ' Isn't that a nice statement?'
Data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tracked by NBC affirmed that unauthorized crossings at the southern border have plummeted.
The administration, using sticks and carrots to amend bold promises to deport 10 million people, tells those without legal status to stay away from the United States or face arrests, deportations and prison. At the same time, Trump and his team are dangling cash to get frightened migrants already in the U.S. to voluntarily depart.
Trump's self-deportation offer of $1,000 would provide taxpayer funds to migrants without legal status in the U.S. to 'facilitate' their travel home. They would receive the U.S. funds, according to the Department of Homeland Security, once their exit and arrivals were confirmed through a CBP app.
That app option was touted last month by Trump in a video in which he said it was an opening for migrants to exit first and then legally re-enter the U.S. while the government saves taxpayer funds and federal manpower.
Immigration lawyers across the United States — including in Chicago, Cleveland and San Antonio — say they've seen a Justice Department app message to migrant clients urging them to self-deport. The message is posted on the walls of immigration courts and as part of electronic communications sent to lawyers, Mother Jones reported.
Meanwhile, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe confirmed to media at home his country's consideration to accept deported U.S. prisoners. 'It is true that we are in discussions with the United States. These talks are still ongoing, and it would be premature to conclude how they will unfold.'
The United Kingdom experimented with a Rwanda deportation plan under the government of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. It was jettisoned by his successor after the U.K. spent $904 million. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who called the effort a 'shocking waste of taxpayer money,' explained the plan's costs included payments to Rwanda, plus ' chartering flights that never took off, detaining hundreds of people and then releasing them and paying for more than a thousand civil servants to work on the scheme.'
The president's immigration critics say his programs are harbingers of a larger attack on civil rights.
Trump says he's willing to send U.S. citizens who are accused of misdeeds to international prisons. That has inspired GOP senators to draw the line against Trump's exploration of sending 'homegrown' criminals out of the country, reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton.
The president told The Atlantic when asked if he'd send U.S. citizens to serve time outside the country, 'If it was legal to do — and nobody's given me a definitive answer on that — but if it was legal to do, I would have no problem with moving them out of the country into a foreign jail, which would cost a lot less money.'
The Hill: Trump's order on Sunday to rebuild and reopen San Francisco's former Alcatraz prison to incarcerate prisoners faces 'daunting' challenges.
SMART TAKE with NewsNation's BLAKE BURMAN:
Two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia announced he will not run for Senate in 2026, opening the door for a new GOP contender to enter the race. With Kemp out, speculation is intensifying around Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
I asked Greene about a potential Senate run, and she told me, 'I'll give it some thought,' adding, 'I'm very grateful for the support I have in Georgia. The polling shows I can win the governor's primary or the Senate primary.'
Greene didn't offer a timeline for when she might make a decision about her political future, but the sense I got Monday evening after the Kemp news broke was that the congresswoman feels she has plenty of options.
Burman hosts 'The Hill' weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY
▪ Introducing The Movement, a new newsletter from The Hill's Emily Brooks tracking the influences and debates steering politics on the right. Click here to sign up and get it in your inbox.
▪ Trump on Monday ordered a ban on federal funding for controversial infectious disease research in China, Iran and other countries.
▪ The White House asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to sharply restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone — taking the same position as the Biden administration.
LEADING THE DAY
BUDGET AND TARIFFS: Senate Republicans on Monday were spooked by Trump's claims over the weekend that some of his tariffs could be permanent and that a short-term recession would be 'OK' amid questions about the stability of the U.S. economy. The Hill's Al Weaver reports that GOP lawmakers acknowledge the president's refusal to rule out the possibility that some of his levies could remain in place in the long term, coupled with his remarks on the possibility of a recession, constitutes a one-two punch that is spooking consumers.
'I think there's just a lot of uneasiness,' said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership. 'They keep saying they're close to a deal with a country, so I think that would be helpful to show that there's progress here. I think people are sort of wondering where this is all going to lead.'
▪ The New York Times: With high costs and low prices for their crops, Iowa's soybean and corn farmers were already nervous as they planned for planting season this year. Tariffs aren't helping.
▪ The Hill: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said farmers in his state and across the Midwest are 'already seeing' the impacts of Trump's tariffs and called for the country to open agricultural trade with other countries to support the industry.
▪ The Atlantic: How the GOP's indecision in Congress could crash the markets.
Trump's economic messaging has evolved: Trump is changing his tune on the economy, suggesting that Americans should buy less, will probably pay more and bear the brunt of an uncertain economic landscape as his widespread tariff policy takes effect.
For weeks, Trump and his economic team have said the tariffs would result in only short-term pain and that the tumult in the stock market would eventually level out. But the White House's messaging has evolved to Trump suggesting that the U.S. needs a cultural shift on consumer spending while accepting that his tariff plan will raise prices.
▪ The New York Times: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is urging skittish global business leaders to ignore Trump's economic naysayers and ramp up investment in the U.S.
▪ Time magazine: Voters are clear: This economy belongs to Trump.
▪ The Washington Post: Trump's trade war is sending construction costs up, and interest rates are expected to stay high this year.
▪ The Hill: Trump's proposal to impose a 100 percent tariff on foreign films is getting skepticism from Hollywood and Washington.
DEFENSE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used Signal more extensively for official Pentagon business than previously disclosed, engaging in at least a dozen separate chats, The Wall Street Journal reports. He told aides on the chat app to inform foreign governments about an unfolding military operation, as well as to discuss media appearances, foreign travel and his schedule.
The Hill: Hegseth wants the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the U.S. military to be cut by at least 20 percent, according to a new memo released Monday.
HIGHER EDUCATION: Trump doesn't have the legal authority to nix Harvard University's tax-exempt status on his own. But will that stop him? The president, who has shown a willingness to test the boundaries of the law as he seeks to hurt universities financially, is at war with Harvard, locked in a lawsuit while he goes after its research funding, international students and, perhaps most dangerously for the school, its tax exemption.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Harvard on Monday telling the university it will no longer be eligible for new research grants from the government until it can 'demonstrate responsible management,' a senior Education Department official said on a call with reporters.
The Wall Street Journal: The Trump administration has presented Columbia University with a proposal for a consent decree, a form of federal oversight that would give a judge responsibility for ensuring Columbia complies with the agreement.
KIDS ONLINE: The fight over a key internet protection for children is ramping up in Washington, where Big Tech companies are pinning the responsibility on each other as lawmakers push for stricter requirements. After months of action in the states, age verification legislation made its way to Congress last week, when Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) introduced a bill that would put the onus on app stores like Apple and Google to verify all users' ages. The issue is uniquely pitting some of the country's largest technology companies against one another. But the proposal could face hurdles even among Big Tech critics in Congress.
'Age verification is largely i neffective,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told The Hill. 'It is so easily worked around by young people, who frankly think it's laughable that we would rely on age verification to protect them.'
CBS News: The Food and Drug Administration's top official overseeing drug and food safety inspections told staff on Monday he has decided to leave the agency.
WHERE AND WHEN
The House will meet at 10 a.m.
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.
The president greets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at 11:15 a.m. at the White House. The two leaders will have lunch and a bilateral meeting to discuss trade and other issues. Trump will participate in an East Room FIFA task force meeting at 3:30 p.m. to prepare for the U.S. hosting next year of the FIFA World Cup. The president will hold a swearing-in ceremony at 5 p.m. for a top adviser.
The Federal Reserve meets on the first day of a two-day gathering to consider the economy and interest rates. Here's what to expect.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet at 3 p.m. with the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the State Department.
JOIN The Hill's Energy & Environment Summit today from 8 a.m. to noon as leaders in government, sustainability and global energy solutions discuss how rapidly changing policies will impact the future of U.S. energy and environmental policy. Key speakers include: Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and more.
GOVERNORSHIPS: Multiple states are gearing up for competitive gubernatorial elections in 2026, which will offer a litmus test on voter sentiment. Michigan and Georgia are teeing up open races as both Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Brian Kemp (R), respectively, are term limited. Wisconsin could also see an open race, as Gov. Tony Evers (D) has not said yet whether he'll run for a third term.
The Hill's Caroline Vakil breaks down the candidate pools in those three states, as well as Arizona and Nevada.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said in a Fox News interview Sunday that she's 'strongly considering' a run for New York governor in 2026, after her nomination to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations fell through earlier this year to try to fortify the slim GOP House majority.
Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is 'seriously considering' a run for Ohio governor, his communications adviser told The Hill on Monday.
▪ Axios: The governor-to-Senate pipeline is suddenly flowing in the other direction.
▪ The Hill: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) announced on Monday that she won't seek another term in Congress, teeing up an open race for the seat she's held since 1999.
▪ The Hill: Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) filed paperwork Sunday to run against Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) for Maine's 2nd Congressional District next year.
▪ NBC News: Inside the Trump White House's early 2026 midterm strategy. Presidents' parties historically do poorly in midterms. But White House advisers are confident about holding the Senate, despite tension with Senate Republicans' campaign committee.
EYE ON 2028: Kemp announced on Monday that he's forgoing a bid to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) in the Peach State next year, delivering a major blow to Republicans who sought to recruit him for the race. Kemp has also been seen as a potential 2028 White House contender, and most believed that if he was considering running for president, he was unlikely to make a bid for the Senate in 2026.
Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego (D) is heading to Pennsylvania this week to participate in a town hall in the swing county of Bucks County, stirring speculation over whether he might be harboring presidential ambitions.
GAZA: Israel has set Trump's visit to the Middle East next week as a deadline for a new hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza. If that objective is not reached by May 15, the military will proceed with a massive ground operation aimed at defeating Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after his security Cabinet unanimously approved a plan to seize the entire Palestinian enclave indefinitely. After Israel's announcement, a senior Hamas official said there is 'no point' in further ceasefire talks.
Palestinian civilians will be moved for their own protection, Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media. Before the last ceasefire went into effect, Israel had already taken full control of a third of Gaza. A senior Israeli security official said Monday that the 'humanitarian [aid] blockade will continue, and only later — after the operational phase begins and a large-scale civilian evacuation to the south is completed — will a humanitarian plan be implemented. '
The alternative to remaining in the humanitarian zone is for Palestinians to leave the enclave 'voluntarily' for other countries 'in line with President Trump's vision for Gaza,' an Israeli official said.
▪ The New York Times: Trump's hope for a Gaza deal is fading, experts say.
▪ The Washington Post: Israel plans to control aid distribution in Gaza and use U.S. contractors. Aid agencies say the plan runs counter to humanitarian principles, is logistically unworkable and could put Gazans and workers at risk.
UKRAINE: Ukraine's Western allies are discussing supplying additional Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv, Reuters reports, and aim to reach an agreement before a NATO summit at the end of June. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second consecutive night, as the Russian capital prepares for Victory Day celebrations. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Kremlin-friendly world leaders are expected to attend.
▪ The Economist: How new drones are sneaking past jammers on Ukraine's front lines.
▪ The Hill: Trump spoke Monday with Turkish President about efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
■ Here is what Prime Minister Mark Carney must achieve on his historic mission to Washington, by Alan Kessel, opinion contributor, Toronto Star.
And finally … 🗞️ The Pulitzer Prizes, the nation's top honor for print journalism, were announced Monday. The staffs of The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal both took home awards for reporting on Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
The Post earned the award in the breaking news category for its reporting on the first attempted assassination against Trump on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa.
The Journal won the top prize for national reporting for its extensive reporting on the personal and public life of Musk, including his relationships with business associates, drug use and shifting political orientation as he entered Trump's inner circle.
The New York Times earned four Pulitzers, The New Yorker won three and ProPublica was given the public service award for its coverage of the deadly consequences of abortion bans in the U.S.
Stay Engaged