Who is helping the children at the border?
June 14, 2018 1:52 PM Subscribe
I am appalled by what I've read about children being separated from their parents at the border (and I'm aware that misinformation is going around). I want to donate money to someone helping with this. What organizations are working for these children and their parents, either providing for physical needs or fighting for justice? Is there anything else I can do?
Best answer: New York Magazine just published "What You Can Do Right Now to Help Fight Trump's Family Separation Policy."
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:01 PM on June 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:01 PM on June 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Best answer: This was on our Houston Indivisible:
Ways to help unaccompanied immigrant children:
1. Michelle Brané, who runs the Women’s Refugee Commission’s Migrant Rights and Justice program, suggests donating to national groups such as Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and the American Red Cross. The Women’s Refugee Commission advocates on behalf of unaccompanied children and families, conducts research, and monitors detention facilities and border stations. KIND also advocates for and provides legal services to these children, and USCCB provides services for the kids after they are released from detention.
Brané also suggests that residents of Texas border communities look around for local organizations that are helping the kids and their families. Annunciation House in El Paso is one example. “Also,” she writes, “as these children are reunited with family or sponsors, they will be entering communities throughout the country and will be (I hope) enrolling in school. In would be great for people to support them in their local communities. Schools and churches are a good place to start.”
2. Nora Skelly from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service suggested that people volunteer as foster parents or support Texas orgs such as the Refuge and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), which has been doing legal orientations for children in federal custody.
3. Ofelia de los Santos, the jail ministry coordinator for Catholic Charities in South Texas, has been interacting directly with the kids and their families. “One lady brought in knitted wool caps for the babies and small children, many of whom have colds from being in those freezing Immigration detention facilities,” she said. “We quickly ran out. The adults started asking for them and we had no adult size knitted caps. Also needed are sweaters and light jackets for adults and kids, and inexpensive sneakers for women and children—”like Keds, not the fancy expensive kind.” Current needs are posted daily here
4. Elizabeth Kennedy, a Fulbright scholar studying unaccompanied migrant kids, points to the following suggestions from the Southern Border Communities Coalition.
5. Call your MOCs light up their phones until this changes.
posted by dog food sugar at 2:17 PM on June 14, 2018 [13 favorites]
Ways to help unaccompanied immigrant children:
1. Michelle Brané, who runs the Women’s Refugee Commission’s Migrant Rights and Justice program, suggests donating to national groups such as Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and the American Red Cross. The Women’s Refugee Commission advocates on behalf of unaccompanied children and families, conducts research, and monitors detention facilities and border stations. KIND also advocates for and provides legal services to these children, and USCCB provides services for the kids after they are released from detention.
Brané also suggests that residents of Texas border communities look around for local organizations that are helping the kids and their families. Annunciation House in El Paso is one example. “Also,” she writes, “as these children are reunited with family or sponsors, they will be entering communities throughout the country and will be (I hope) enrolling in school. In would be great for people to support them in their local communities. Schools and churches are a good place to start.”
2. Nora Skelly from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service suggested that people volunteer as foster parents or support Texas orgs such as the Refuge and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), which has been doing legal orientations for children in federal custody.
3. Ofelia de los Santos, the jail ministry coordinator for Catholic Charities in South Texas, has been interacting directly with the kids and their families. “One lady brought in knitted wool caps for the babies and small children, many of whom have colds from being in those freezing Immigration detention facilities,” she said. “We quickly ran out. The adults started asking for them and we had no adult size knitted caps. Also needed are sweaters and light jackets for adults and kids, and inexpensive sneakers for women and children—”like Keds, not the fancy expensive kind.” Current needs are posted daily here
4. Elizabeth Kennedy, a Fulbright scholar studying unaccompanied migrant kids, points to the following suggestions from the Southern Border Communities Coalition.
5. Call your MOCs light up their phones until this changes.
posted by dog food sugar at 2:17 PM on June 14, 2018 [13 favorites]
Best answer: A friend of mine posted this Twitter thread with some ideas.
posted by Knicke at 2:19 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Knicke at 2:19 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Other places to donate.
posted by dog food sugar at 2:19 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by dog food sugar at 2:19 PM on June 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: A specific thing to mention when calling your MOC would be supporting the recently-introduced Keep Families Together Act. It would prohibit the separation of families except in circumstances where it was likely the child is being trafficked or is in danger from their parents, and really ought to be a non-partisan bill.
posted by subocoyne at 3:18 PM on June 14, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by subocoyne at 3:18 PM on June 14, 2018 [7 favorites]
I know somebody who is personally helping detainees who upon release have sponsors ready. But they need an immigration lawyer. If you or anybody else has access to an immigration lawyer, MeMail me. The lawyer would need to be able to travel to New Mexico.
posted by shalom at 4:25 PM on June 14, 2018
posted by shalom at 4:25 PM on June 14, 2018
Best answer: And from Slate: Here’s How You Can Help Fight Family Separation at the Border: Lawyers, translators, donations, protest
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:25 PM on June 15, 2018
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 2:25 PM on June 15, 2018
Best answer: This is real and this is happening.
Consider the Border Network for Human Rights.
posted by blessedlyndie at 9:31 PM on June 15, 2018
Consider the Border Network for Human Rights.
posted by blessedlyndie at 9:31 PM on June 15, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by wyzewoman at 1:59 PM on June 14, 2018 [4 favorites]