Along the southern border, thousands of children are being separated from their parents and held in detention facilities after crossing the border illegally. While President Trump has signed an executive order to end this practice, the harm to these families has already been done. Those who are interested in learning ways to support families being separated at the border may want to consider the following resources:
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- SIGN-ON STATEMENT: Philanthropy Responds to Inhumane Family Separation and Detention Policies | Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
- STATEMENT: Traumatizing Immigration Practices Put Children’s Futures at Stake | Irving Harris Foundation’s Professional Development Network
- WEBINAR: Where are the Children? Family Separation Becomes U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policy | June 27 | Hosted by Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and United Philanthropy Forum
- BLOG: Stop Separating Families at the Border. Now. | By United Philanthropy Forum President and CEO Dave Biemesderfer
- Al Otro Lado is a binational organization that works to offer legal services to deportees and migrants in Tijuana, Mexico, including deportee parents whose children remain in the U.S.
- American Immigrant Representation Project works to secure legal representation for immigrants
- CARA—a consortium of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, the American Immigration Council, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association—provides legal services at family detention centers
- CLINICs Defending Vulnerable Populations project offers case assistance to hundreds of smaller organizations all over the country that do direct services for migrant families and children
- The Florence Project is an Arizona project offering free legal services to men, women and unaccompanied children in immigration custody
- Human Rights First is a national organization with roots in Houston that needs help from lawyers
- Kids in Need of Defense works to ensure that kids do not appear in immigration court without representation and to lobby for policies that advocate for children’s legal interests
- The Kino Border Initiative provides humanitarian aid to refugees and migrants on both sides of the border. They have a wish list of supplies they can use to help migrants and families staying in the communities they serve.
- The Legal Aid Justice Center is a Virginia-based center providing unaccompanied minors legal services and representation
- The National Immigrant Justice Center represents and advocates for detained adults and children facing removal, supports efforts at the border and represents parents in the interior who have been separated from their families as a result of aggressive enforcement
- The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is doing work defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education
- Pueblo Sin Fronteras provides humanitarian aid and shelter to migrants on their way to the U.S.
- RAICES is the largest immigration nonprofit in Texas offering free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children and families
- Together Rising provides legal assistance for 60 migrant children who were separated from their parents and are currently detained in Arizona
- The Urban Justice Center’s Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project is working to keep families together
- Women’s Refugee Commission advocates for the rights and protection of women, children and youth fleeing violence and persecution
- Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights works for the rights of children in immigration proceedings
If you have additional resources to share, please contact Kim Garbacz.