Ways to Support Children and Families at the US Border

Throughout the past few weeks, U.S. border patrols on the Texas border have separated over two thousand children and put them in detention centers, separating them by age and gender. Although President Trump signed an executive order to reverse his “zero-tolerance policy,” his actions won’t reunite the separated families, nor does it mean that there will no longer be separated families.  Furthermore, the administration has not hinted at implementing a softer immigration policy after signing the executive order.

No doubt – we all want to help, but not all of us can fly to Texas to protest and work with the families. Here are some ways you can help from home.

Donate:

The non-profit organizations that are helping these families rely on donations as well as volunteer support.

ActBlue


will split your donation among fourteen of the most active organizations helping families at the border. While most of the organizations look to provide legal help for detained families, others support activism led by youth groups and feminist organizations.

Another organization that accepts donations is


RAICES


, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, who provide free and low-cost legal services to immigrant families and refugees in need. This organization has already raised $10 million dollars in four days through a Facebook fundraiser.

Call Your Representative:

If you are unable to donate, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) advises that you call your local representative to demand a vote on the anti-immigration bill. The ACLU   provides you with your representative’s contact information. If you choose to call either your local Congress member, governor, or state attorney, you can reference


Indivisible’s


sample call scripts so as to  have an idea of what to say.

Sign Petitions:

Signing petitions is definitely the easiest and quickest way  to help. Signing multiple petitions can help make even more of a difference.

• 
  
  
  
  ACLU’s
  
  
  petition has already received over 135,000 signatures.
  
  

• 
  
  
  
  Change.org’s
  
  
  petition has over 100,000 signatures and also advises on children’s rights.
  
  

• 
  
  
  
  Moveon.org’s
  
  
  petition has over 130,000 signatures and  demands the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielson to “abandon the cruel, costly, and unjustified practice of separating families seeking protection at our borders.”
  
  

• 
  
  
  
  The Women’s March
  
  
  started a petition directed at Ivanka Trump and has over 50,000 signatures.
  
  

• 
  
  You can also sign a petition directed at President Trump himself, organized by the
  
  
  National Domestic Workers Alliance
  
  
  . This petition already has over 110,000 signatures.
  
  

Protest on June 30:

With over 400,000 RSVP’s and counting,


MoveOn.org


has spearheaded hundreds of protests around the country to fight against Trump’s family separation policy and to fight for immigrant rights and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). You can find out where the closest march is to you on June 30th by checking their website

Whether you are working directly with families to seek justice and freedom, or you are signing just one petition from home, every and any effort helps. The most powerful tool you have is your voice, and you can use it by  registering to vote. Use your right to vote in the midterms, local elections, and in November 2020 at the presidential elections to show that our voices carry and matter, and that we as a society will not stand for injustice when we see it.