Images and audio of migrant children being separated from their families have been on my mind this week. I agree that anyone who crosses the border illegally should be held accountable for their actions. However, I do not agree with this inhumane method of separating parents and children who cross the border illegally. I, thankfully, have met and become friends with people from other countries. Unfortunately, I also know of students that have to stay on-campus or live with friends over break out of fear that they will not be allowed to re-enter the country. While it is very heartbreaking to see these children being used as pawns, I have provided some ways that we can help them.
1. Call Senators
Currently on the floor of the Senate, there are bills such as the Keep Families Together Act and the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections For Separated Children Act. To express your concern over the zero-tolerance policy and encourage the passage of these acts, you can contact your senators at 202-224-3121.
2. Donate
Baby2Baby is one charity organization that is collecting items for immigrant children. You can also donate to the nonprofit organization Texas Civil Rights Project to keep families together and connect them with attorneys. A list of various ways you can donate and how to safely go about doing so is available on the CNBC's website.
3. Volunteer
On Monday the Texas Tribune published a list of organizations that have volunteer opportunities, are raising money or providing free services to help undocumented children taken away from their families at the border. The list included the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, Kids In Need of Defense and Together Rising, to name a few. KIND is also partnering with the Baby2Baby charity organization. Baby2Baby has made it clear on Instagram that while "they are not able to take the items into the detention centers," they are working with KIND "to get these items to children post release."
4. Protest
NextGen Virginia is hosting a Richmond Families Belong Together rally on Saturday at 12 p.m. Participants will be gathering at the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial. The description for the event on Facebook reads, "It's up to us to make sure they [Republicans] pay for this at the polls in November—we'll be doing voter registration here for anyone who needs it, and having everyone pledge to vote in November so we can take action against horrifying policies like this." Those interested can RSVP for the event here. To find protesting events in your area, you can visit this website.
5. Don't Let the Conversation Die
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop the separation of these families detained crossing the U.S. border illegally. It's no secret that Trump's sudden change of heart comes from the backlash the Trump administration received in the media and across social media. However, until all of those children detained are reunited with their families, we cannot allow this issue to be swept under the rug. The only way we can expect to see real change is by doing our part.
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