With recent information breaking about children being held away from their parents at the border, many of us are left asking, "How can I help?" A group of local attorneys has compiled a list of ways you can make in impact.
Scroll to find out ways you can help immigrant children today.
Contact the White House
Contact the White House with the message that separating children from parents at the border is inhumane and unacceptable. Urge the White House to terminate this policy immediately.
Call your Member of Congress
Call your Member of Congress and tell them that you oppose families being separated at the border. Ask them to conduct oversight on CBP, ICE and Health and Human Services (HHS - the agency housing minors) - hearings, write letters to the agencies asking questions.
You can also ask them to have meetings with community members so they know what is going on. Demand to know where these children are being transported. Congress tallies who calls about which issues so your repeated calls about this issue will elevate it on their radar.
House: https://www.house.gov/representatives
Senate: https://www.senate.gov/…/contact_informati…/senators_cfm.cfm
Tell your friends and family to do the same, especially if they reside in states with strong Republican congressional leadership.
Contact Churches
Contact your churches and urge church leadership to make public pronouncements denouncing this policy and calling on the government to end it
Letter to the Editor
Write a letter to the editor and/or editorial for publication in any newspaper that prints an article about the family separation policy
Peaceful Protest
Get involved in a peaceful protest. For example, there is one happening in Duluth on Wednesday, June 20th.
Make a Donation
Advocates for Human Rights
(runs a 1-800 number for detained mothers being released from custody, provides legal representation to asylum-seekers and children seeking immigration status in the United States): https://www.theadvocatesforhumanrights.org
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
(runs a detention hotline for detained immigrants in Minnesota, was able to add two attorneys to their deportation defense capacity because of your donations): https://www.ilcm.org
American Civil Liberties Union
Donate to the American Civil Liberties Union to champion federal litigation to prevent the federal government from violating the constitutional rights of anyone in the United States
Make a Donation (continued)
Groups in El Paso/Tornillo that are actively assisting families in the area:
DMRS
You can help DMRS (http://www.dmrs-ep.org) who is providing direct legal services to the immigrant children separated from their families. They need in order of priority:
Donations: http://www.dmrs-ep.org/donate/
Volunteer attorneys and people to help coordinate services for these children. If interested, email mlopez@dmrs-ep.org.
Las Americas
You can help Las Americas (http://las-americas.org) who is providing legal services to the asylum-seeking parents being separated from their families. They need in order of priority:
Donations: http://las-americas.org/get-involved-2/donate/
Volunteer attorneys, contact Linda Rivas <lindarivas@las-americas.org>
Annunciation House
You can help Annunciation House (https://annunciationhouse.org) which receives immigrants after they are released from ICE custody and provides housing and legal services. They need in order of priority:
Donations: https://annunciationhouse.org/financial-donations/
There are lots of needs for the house (https://annunciationhouse.org/support/house-needs/) but currently they are especially interested in receiving fresh produce.
The Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee
You can help the Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee (https://dmscelpaso.wixsite.com/dmscelpaso) which is helping pay immigration bonds to get detained people out and able to reunite with family, avoid bail bond lenders and improve their chances in immigration court.
You can donate to the Fianza Fund at https://www.fianzafund.org.
Al Otro Lado
You can help Al Otro Lado, https://alotrolado.org/
Al Otro is bearing witness to asylum-seekers presenting themselves at ports of entry (Tijuana, Mexico) and documenting how Customs & Border Patrol illegally states "there is no asylum anymore" and "we are at capacity" forcing them to wait outside for many days without food, water or shelter. The aim—it seems—is to push asylum-seekers to try to enter without inspection, which then leads to the DOJ criminal misdemeanor prosecutions that the DOJ claims creates "unaccompanied minors".
Volunteer
Advocates for Human Rights needs all types of volunteers, seeing increased caseload of labor trafficking victims and asylum seekers: Click Here to Learn More
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota needs all types of volunteers: Click Here to Learn More
Additional ideas
An article on what people can do:
"How you can help fight family separation at the border"
AILA National’s advocacy advisory (i.e., writing members of Congress):
National Advocacy Advisory
AILA’s call for volunteers:
Click here to help
Have More Questions?
Contreras & Metelska, PA is a law firm serving the immigrant community in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. Because we believe the world should be a more just place, we are here to take on your case with persistence and dedication.
Call today to see how we can help.