I'm on a plane, so might as well do this. Feeling helpless about the family separations at the border? Guess what, there are many people & organizations who need your help & electeds who need to do more. Things you can do to help parents & kids at the border thread below. 1/
Let's start w/ Texas: One organization that could use your help is @netargv - who are they? Well, they are some of the best story-tellers of the border region, however, they are also kind souls taking donations for families sleeping outside of ports of entry in extreme heat2/
Here's @netargv's fundraiser to help volunteers who go to Mexico to assist these families outside. My friend @lorellapraeli went down there last week & met a family who had been outside for 17 days. They need Diapers, Underwear, Bras, Baby wipes, etc.
But if you think border voices and what's happening in the region are important to be amplified during this time, please consider donating to @netargv generally at:
- let's stay in the RGV for a bit.... /4
Reason why "the RGV sector" is so important is that the volume of prosecutions of parents being separated in McAllen a& Brownsville is quite high in comparison to other places. Brownsville is also ground zero on the attack on #DACA - & when there are multiple fights you need /5
Organized local power to build accountability & organizing around these systems & services. 1 of the most powerful & inspirational organizations I've worked w/ in my lifetime is @LUPE_rgv - if you want to help people power grow in this region donate here: lupenet.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/contri…
& of course we can create more accountability if immigrant-supporting civil rights impact litigators have the resources they need to try to intervene in this process in as many ways as possible. One TX based organization doing amazing work is @TXCivilRights - in the last 2 wks 7/
The Texas Civil Rights Project has been able to try to bring some oversight into the separations/prosecutions in the Rio Grande Valley - they've put out stories of parents who have been separated & have been reporting the volume of separations. They need help to cover more 8/
...proceedings in more courthouses so that litigators trying to stop this have a better sense as to what is happening as this process lacks transparency across the board. You can help @TXCivilRights do more by supporting them here (also follow them) 9/ :texascivilrightsproject.org/donate/
Once parents are separated and prosecuted some move back over into DHS custody and get moved around to other detention centers. This is where having more lawyers who work inside detention centers to help figure out how to get these parents back w/ their kids is important 10/
One organization that works with parents in detention centers in Texas is @RAICESTEXAS - they have a bond fund to help reunited families and fight their cases from the outside. You can support that bond fund here:
11/
Okay let's pivot to state & local advocacy a bit - because enforcement is increasing and the system is being jammed in different ways, including the admin's 0 tolerance policy, there just aren't enough lawyers to advocate on behalf of individuals & families facing deportation 12/
What u actually can do is run campaigns in your cities, counties & states demanding your government(s) fund legal services for people going through the deportation process. Many cities & states have invested in this over the last few yrs, so this isn't a pie in the sky thing12/
It's like the general concept of access to counsel, and due process, & trying to be a good locality that doesn't want to just give a green light to the increased enforcement of this admin. Winning these campaigns can help get more lawyers in more detention centers. 13/
And let's pivot to Congress - while these bills don't necessarily provide vehicles for easy passage, they help create momentum for concrete policy ideas where pieces of the language in these bills can be inserted into other negotiations like appropriations, etc. Main thing 14/
Okay sorry plane was landing, So, Bill #1: Fair Day In Court for Kids Act! Please see if your 2 senators are on it! If not, get them on? How do you know if they’re on? I got you:
Here’s a fact sheet, but basically 85% of kids not represented by counsel are deported....because kids should have lawyers and 3 yr olds shouldn’t advocate asylum law in court houses, but read more here:
Okay next bill to make sure your 2 Senators and house member are on: The Help Separated Children Act - this is sponsored by Smith in he Senate and Roybal Allard in the House, here is a list of who is on it so far:
Next bill - hot off the presses yesterday from Senator Feinstein - the Keep Families Together Act, this would define when children can be separated from their parents - here is more, make sure both your Senators are on it: feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/…
& then very wonky, but a very defined group of people to influence is to financially starve the beast that is causing this harm in the appropriations process. Rep. Jayapal led a call this week to stop the finding of the operations doing this:
Decisions like this are negotiated within the Homeland Security subcommittees of both chambers who negotiate how much funding goes into those bills. Here are their rosters so you know who to call....
SENATE:
HOUSE: appropriations.house.gov/about/members/…
SENATE:
HOUSE: appropriations.house.gov/about/members/…
Everything I said in Texas is needed basically everywhere else right now, so check out
plug in your zip code find out what orgs are near you & help by volunteering there!
Sorry I’m back one more really important tangible TX thing - you can raid your closet & supplie cabinets and send the below items to Catholic Charities RGV’s shelter for refugees. People arrive with nothing this place helps clean, feed, clothe them. Items they need:
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