5 Things You Can Do to Help Migrant Children at the Border — and 1 Thing to Avoid

There are a wide range of organizations that help advocate for migrant children and families via legal services, translators, social workers, and more. Some of the key organizations mobilizing against the current separation policy include the following:

• RAICES is a Texas-based nonprofit that provides free legal services to refugees and immigrants in need. You can donate directly to its Family Reunification and Bond Fund on the main page of the RAICES website. The fund will specifically be used to pay the immigration bond required to release parents who have been separated from their children at the border in order to free them from ICE custody — a vital first step in reuniting families.
• Kids in Need of Defense: KIND's staff and pro bono attorneys are on a mission to ensure no unaccompanied immigrant or refugee children appear in court for deportation proceedings alone.
• The Young Center For Immigrant Children's Rights: This group works to reform the immigration system with children in mind with its team of social workers, bilingual volunteers, and attorneys.

The ACLU is making it extremely easy to contact your senators on the phone, which most political insiders say is much more effective than writing a letter or email.

Simply use this online tool from the ACLU to input your phone number and zip code, and your phone will ring, connecting you to your senator's office. Tell the staffer who picks up how you feel about the policy and push for your representative to support legislation to end it — or thank them for doing so. The ACLU has provided this sample script if you want clear guidance on what to say.

We tested out the tool and found it took us just under four minutes to click on the ACLU's website, be connected on the phone, wait on hold, and speak to a staffer in our senator's office.

Thousands of children have been separated from their parents at the border, and Miles 4 Migrants is looking to make the reunion process a little easier by providing a platform through which you can donate your frequent flyer miles and credit card points to a family seeking to reunite.

During a time where every second and every dollar make a difference, it's important not to let this ongoing crisis fade into the background. Wear your heart on your sleeve, and next time you're on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, make a point of using your social media presence as an opportunity to make the voices of those in need be heard. Direct your friends and family to sites where they can donate, and don't be afraid to speak up for those who don't have the power to make their voices heard.

Raising awareness about both American citizens' and noncitizens' rights and spreading the word is an important way to show solidarity and support for migrants — and to resist the administration's immigration policies — no matter where in the country you live. Know your rights and help inform others of theirs by spreading the word about the power you have to defend yourself and others if questioned by ICE and Border Patrol. United We Dream gives you all the information you need if you or someone you know has a run-in with immigration — and it only takes a few minutes to educate yourself. You can also reach out to the United We Dream hotline at 1(844)363-1423 to report any ICE or Border Patrol activity you witness.

In taking action to help children and their families at the border, it's also important to know where not to donate supplies and money. You should not donate supplies to ICE or Border Patrol, because they will not be accepted.

In general, nonprofit organizations combating these abuses also prefer funds they can apply to the resources they need most, as they deem necessary, rather than purchased goods.

This post was updated on June 27, 2019.