Family Separations At The Border: How You Can Help

As the Trump administration comes under fire for its policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the southwestern border, organizations and lawmakers are mobilizing to help reunite these families.

The government's policy for reuniting separated families is murky. Children who have been separated from their parents awaiting criminal prosecution are placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is under the Department of Health and Human Services. The government has provided a short flyer in both English and Spanish that tells immigrant parents charged with illegally crossing the border how they can locate their children but it doesn't provide any clear direction on reunification.

"HHS and ICE can take steps to facilitate family reunification for purposes of removal, consistent with federal law where the parent or legal guardian is capable of providing for the physical and mental well-being of the child and comports with the wishes of the parent or legal guardian," a fact sheet posted to the DHS website on June 15 says.

People have been spurred to action to donate to organizations working to reunite separated families after reports of the kinds of conditions children are living in and the emotional toll they face becomes clear.

Here are some organizations you can donate to:

• Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service or "RAICES"

The organization has raised close to $2.5 million and one fundraiser started on Facebook to support RAICES has raised over $6 million.

• Texas Civil Rights Project

At the end of May, the organization petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, requesting that they adopt measures that would require the U.S. to stop separating families at the border. The petition was filed on behalf of five parents separated from their young children by homeland security officials.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has also started a fundraiser to raise money for the organization.

• American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit representing families separated at the border. The ACLU alleges that even some families who have presented themselves at ports of entries to claim asylum have been separated.

• The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights

The center's mission is to "promote the best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children." The organization says every donation allows them to find more ways to help another child, recruit a volunteer and support families.

There are many more organizations working to help families affected by the border separations. The online fundraising platform for Democrats and progressive groups, "ActBlue," has compiled a list of organizations that people can donate to through their platform.

Concerned citizens can also call their representatives to support legislation like the "Keep Families Together Act." You can also see if there is a protest planned near you on June 30 as part of a nationwide effort to oppose the policy.

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