If you’re feeling overwhelmed and heartbroken by the constant reports of suffering families and children at the border, you’re certainly not alone. Thankfully, there’s a dedicated organization working tirelessly to assist those in need of asylum and facing separation from their families.
The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is a Texas-based non-profit that advocates for justice by offering free and low-cost legal assistance to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. With a passionate team of 130 attorneys, legal assistants, and support staff, RAICES provides consultations, representation, and advocacy to communities both within Texas and beyond.
Recently, RAICES has intensified its fundraising efforts to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The funds raised are directed toward paying bonds and facilitating the release of individuals from detention, allowing them to return to their loved ones. So far, their efforts have successfully reunited 58 families.
In the midst of a troubling news cycle detailing the humanitarian crisis at the border, RAICES has been candid about the conditions faced by those in migrant detention centers. Reports indicate that the Trump administration is managing facilities that resemble concentration camps, where children are often deprived of adequate food, water, and sanitation. Disturbingly, young detainees are made to care for children slightly younger than themselves, living in conditions that have been described as worse than torture facilities by medical professionals who have visited such sites.
In response, RAICES is actively advocating for individuals seeking asylum while dispelling myths about immigrants failing to attend hearings—they actually show up nearly all the time. The organization encourages Americans to “build bridges, not walls,” urging them to sign a pledge aimed at transforming immigration policy. They vow to collaborate with other human rights organizations to propose new solutions to immigration issues.
Additionally, RAICES is working to raise awareness about the family separation crisis by sharing poignant stories from those affected. If you’ve been left feeling like there’s “nothing” you can do to assist detained migrant families and children, there are options available. You can donate to RAICES or consider volunteering with them to help reunite families that should never have been separated.
For more information on related topics, check out this post on home insemination kits.
In conclusion, by supporting organizations like RAICES, you can make a significant impact in the lives of those in desperate need of assistance.