How to Help Families Separated at the Border.
Since early May, at least 2,342 children have been separated from their parents after crossing the Southern U.S. border, according to the Department of Homeland Security, as part of a new immigration strategy by the Trump administration.
Dean Sandro Galea addressed this horrific crisis in a recent Dean’s Note saying, “As details of the separations emerged, it became clear that we were witnessing an act of wanton cruelty carried out by an administration that has already done much to mainstream callousness in American life. Many of the detained children were being held in warehouse facilities; some, appallingly, were placed in cages. As former First Lady Laura Bush wrote in The Washington Post, images of these facilities were “eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in US history.”…. [These separations] also undermined health, a fact which Bush points out in her article: “We also know that this treatment inflicts trauma; interned Japanese have been two times as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease or die prematurely than those who were not interned.” The separations were especially harmful to children, both in the short- and long-term.”
There is no question, this reprehensible treatment of immigrants has to end. Many of you have reached out, looking for ways to make a positive impact so we’ve created this resources that outlines just a few of the many organizations that have mobilized for those of you who are ready for action now.
Call your Representatives
Not sure who to call or what to say? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will connect you to the right person through this page and provide you with a script you can use.
Here’s an example: “Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and my zip code is [YOUR ZIP]. I’m urging the Senator to denounce Trump’s family separation policy and use all of Congress’ authority to stop it.”
You can also urge them to support these bills: the HELP Separated Children Act and the Keep Families Together Act.
Donate or Volunteer
You can support legal services for the families and children being separated at the border through these organizations by donating. If you are a lawyer or are able to offer translation assistance, you can donate your time to these and other organizations working to help these families.
- Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees in Texas. You can donate here or volunteer.
- Catholic Charities Fort Worth has opened its doors to shelter unaccompanied migrant children and offered ways to help, encouraging individuals to donate to their Unaccompanied Children program or help create welcome boxes. They are also looking for foster parents through the International Foster Care Program who can provide a safe haven for the children who have been separated from their parents.You can donate here.
- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a nonprofit that defends the rights of people in the US, including immigrants, is working to tackle ICE and border patrol abuse and harmful immigration policies. You can donate here.
- The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is an organization that advocates for the best interests of unaccompanied migrant children and has recently announced a project focusing on helping families being separated at the border. You can donate here.
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is an organization working to defend the rights and best interests of migrant children and providing them with legal representation. You can donate here or volunteer.
- The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) is an organization that works to prevent the wrongful deportation of immigrants. You can donate here or volunteer.
- Fronterizo Fianza Fund, a project through the Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee, is raising money to help people make bail bonds for immigrant detainees. You can donate here.
More organizations you can donate to or volunteer with: Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Al Otro Lado, National Immigrant Justice Center, Border Angels, Together Rising, United We Dream, South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR), Texas Civil Rights Project, Pueblo Sin Fronteras, The Florence Project and Refugee Rights Project.
Use your voice and protest!
Families Belong Together, a nonprofit, is organizing protests around the country. The major marches are planned for June 30th, but other events can be found here.
Refinery29 has also put together this running list of upcoming protests across the US.
Vote. And not just in national elections. Massachusetts has a Primary Election coming up on September 18th, 2018, and a General Election on November 6th (this is when the Transgender Rights ballot questions will show up). Vote, and know who you are voting for! If the candidate you want to support isn’t talking about immigration, show up to their next campaign event and ask the questions you want answered. August 15, 2018, is the LAST DAY to register to vote and to change party enrollment for the State Primaries.