The "weird deal" is this: > told they needed to return to China, that they needed to pay for their own airline ticket to do so or face a ban from re-entering

The "weird deal" is this: > told they needed to return to China, that they needed to pay for their own airline ticket to do so or face a ban from re-entering the U.S. for five years It is not normal for a re-entry ban to made contingent on the traveler paying for the return ticket. Usually airlines are required by the government to pay for the return ticket and it is left up to the airlines to recover that cost from their passengers. My guess would be either that 1) government officials are trying to avoid any legal conflict with airlines about the grounds on which entry was denied. or 2) Airline lobby groups got this policy implemented to reduce their costs.