How You Can Help Immigrant Children
As you’ve probably read in the news, almost 2,000 migrant children—primarily from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador—have been separated from their parents at the border. These kids, some of whom are babies, have been put in camps that are essentially cages in a former Walmart. There is also a tent city in the Texan desert. Some of the parents have been deported, some have been incarcerated. A majority of these families came to the border seeking asylum. It is beyond inhumane—it is vile, and indecent, and anathema to what it means to be American. As Laura Bush wrote in the Washington Post, “I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart.” Please call your representatives and consider donating to one of the admirable non-profits below who are fighting for the rights of these children.
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American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU has been defending our civil rights and civil liberties for nearly a century. The ACLU knows that denying legal rights to immigrants in a state of extreme vulnerability is a negligence that signals the dissolution of justice for all Americans. Encourage those around you to stay educated on immigrant rights, sign the ACLU’s petition to stop the abuse of immigrant children, and donate to help fund these freedom fighters.
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
Many of the families seeking to enter the US are fleeing lives of violence, sexual assault, and terror. ASAP unites members of disenfranchised communities on a unique online platform that allows asylum seekers to request legal advice from attorneys and share stories and strategies with each other. A donation will support their emergency legal room, which rushes to the defense of members in crisis, in the face of deportation, detention, and illegal raids.
Border Angels
One of the biggest risks for those making the treacherous journey across the border is actually dehydration. Here in California, the Border Angels have responded with strategically implemented water drops. Volunteers hike six miles into the desert, carrying two gallons of water each, to ensure as many people as possible have access to this basic survival essential. The journey is exhausting, but it’s a mere glimpse of the danger many families face in their search for a better life. Help this non-profit cover the operational costs necessary to do their work.
Cayuga Centers
If you’re fluent in Spanish, your home can become a temporary safe haven for immigrant youth. Cayuga Centers in New York is looking for volunteers who can foster children awaiting reunion with their families. If the task sounds daunting, Cayuga offers training and 24-hour support.
Kids in Need of Defense
No child should be tasked with facing an immigration court without the proper legal defense. KIND, an organization founded by Angelina Jolie and Microsoft Corporation, will ensure the best legal representation available to unaccompanied immigrants and refugee children. A donation can give the gift of safety and freedom to a child with no other advocates to help.
Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services
Parents separated from their children at the border are denied release from the ICE until an immigration bond is paid. The price is high, and near impossible for detainees to pay on their own. RAICES, a non-profit providing low-cost legal services to immigrant families and refugees throughout Texas, built the Family Reunification and Bond Fund to address this issue. Consider donating to help parents reunite with their children.
Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is dedicated to the safety and well-being of those too young to defend themselves. Their Immigrant Child and Family Rights Project aims to stop the current separation of parents from their children by the Department of Homeland Security. Donations to this project will provide child immigrants with an equipped advocate sworn to act in the best interests of the child.
