How to help the migrants and our country, right now

TEXAS

-       STOP DEATH AND MISTREATMENT

o   South Texas Human Rights Center
http://southtexashumanrights.org/
A community-based center, this humanitarian organization seeks to end death and suffering on the Texas-Mexico border. It engages in different community initiatives to attain this goal.

o   Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services is the largest provider of free and low cost immigration services in West Texas and says it’s the only organization in El Paso serving unaccompanied children.

o   Circle of Health International has staffed a clinic caring for refugees and asylum seekers immediately upon their their release. Their McAllen, Texas, clinic is currently seeing up to 100 patients a day.

o   The El Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center provides legal representation to immigrants who might not be able to afford it otherwise. It’s accepting volunteers and donations.

-       LEGAL SERVICES

o   RAICES https://www.raicestexas.org/ The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families and refugees in Central and South Texas. RAICES is the largest immigration non-profit in Texas with offices in Austin, Corpus, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

o   Casa de Proyecto Libertad
http://www.proyectolibertad.net/
Provides legal defense and advocacy for immigrant families in the Rio Grande Valley, supporting community organizing for immigrant human rights. The organization gives quality, low-cost legal services for immigrants, and is always looking for volunteers.

o   ProBAR (The South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project), based in Harlingen, Texas, provides free legal services to detained asylum-seekers. It recruits, trains, and coordinates the activities of volunteer lawyers, law students, and legal assistants. (It is a joint project of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and is supported by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.)

o   The Texas Civil Rights Project is seeking “volunteers who speak Spanish, Mam, Q’eqchi’ or K’iche’ and have paralegal or legal assistant experience.”

o   CARA—a consortium of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, the American Immigration Council, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association—provides legal services at family detention centers.

ARIZONA

-       STOP DEATH AND MISTREATMENT

o   No More Deaths/No Más Muertes
http://nomoredeaths.org/
A humanitarian organization based in southern Arizona, it works to end death and suffering in U.S.-Mexico borderlands. It encourages a humane immigrant policy and seeks for volunteers for its programs and services. Its website also provides up-to-date information about migrant deaths in the border; note that this is currently not available as the website is offline.

-       LEGAL

o   The Florence Project is an Arizona project offering free legal services to men, women, and unaccompanied children in immigration custody.

-        

-       IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

o   Coalición de Derechos Humanos
http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/
Grassroots organization that promotes human and civil rights of immigrants, fighting border militarization and migrant abuses. Derechos Humanos acts to influence public policy and opinion on immigration. Its bilingual website has useful resources for immigrants and advocates, such as 'Know Your Rights' cards, an abuse report hotline, and updated information on Arizona migrant deaths.

CALIFORNIA

-       STOP DEATH AND MISTREATMENT

o   Ángeles del Desierto/The Desert Angels
http://losangelesdeldesierto.org/
A binational humanitarian group, located in San Diego, CA, that conducts search & rescue operations, with the sole purpose of saving lives and rescuing bodies. The organization also helps with Mexican repatriations and by leaving essential supplies along paths.

-       IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

o   American Friends Service Committee San Diego
http://www.afsc.org/office/san-diego-ca
AFSC San Diego supports immigrant-led organizations by developing "human rights committees" and working to include immigrant voices in policy debates. It is also in charge of the AFSC San Diego U.S.-Mexico Border Program which seeks to protect the human rights and self-determination of migrants and border communities.

o   Many migrants cleared to enter the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security are turning to a migrant shelter run by the San Diego Rapid Response Network for help. The coalition provides these families with basic supplies, legal services, and information about the rights of asylum seekers, as well as travel and limited financial assistance to help them reach loved ones in other U.S. cities. You can help fund the group's recently opened migrant family shelter by donating to this GoFundMe campaign. 

ACROSS THE BORDER

-       STOP DEATH AND MISTREATMENT

o   Coalición de Derechos Humanos CDH (described below in Immigrant Rights section) has a Missing Migrant Project which includes specific attention to the recovery of remains. https://derechoshumanosaz.net/resources/disappeared-report/

o   Humane Borders/Fronteras Compasivas
http://www.humaneborders.org/
Offers humanitarian assistance through the deployment of water stations on routes commonly used by migrants, with the sole goal of preventing deaths. It also develops informational resources about migrant deaths, and accepts volunteers.

o   Colibri Center for Human Rights
http://colibricenter.org/
Holds a comprehensive database of missing persons last seen crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, using the information to match families with unidentified remains and advocate for the continuing human rights crisis on the border. 

o   The Sanctuary Caravan is a group supporters, including faith, labor, and community leaders, accompanying migrant children and their families at the border. You can get involved by housing a migrant family, volunteering, fundraising, joining upcoming events, or donating. 

-       IMMIGRANT RIGHTS:

o   Border Network for Human Rights
http://bnhr.org/
BNHR is an immigration reform and human rights advocacy group. It is a grassroots organizer with a large membership and capabilities, currently focusing on the nation-wide push for a just immigration reform. The organization also releases useful reports, including annual documentations of abuses in the border. 

o   Southern Border Communities Coalition
http://soboco.org/
Bringing together 60 organizations from California to Texas, Southern Border Communities Coalition looks to ensure fair and accountable border enforcement, humane and rational immigration policy, and a positive quality of life for border communities. Its website has up-do-date border accountability information, including a section documenting Border Patrol murders since 2010.

o   Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project works to prevent the deportation of asylum-seeking families fleeing violence. The group accepts donations and asks people to sign up for volunteer opportunities here.

-        

MEXICO

-       LEGAL SERVICES

o   Centro de los Derechos del Migrante
http://www.cdmigrante.org/
Binational organization based in Mexico City that educates, empowers, and advocates for immigrants, while also providing transnational legal representation and advice. CDM focuses on the rights of Mexico-based migrant workers who must constantly move between their homes and the United States.

-       IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

o   Save the Children, an organization that protects and supports children around the world, has set up child-friendly spaces in Tijuana. Save the Children creates these spaces in emergency situations in an effort to provide children with a safe, playful environment that's stocked with toys and crafts. You can help support migrant children's needs by donating here. 

-        

CONGRESS

TPS, DED, DACA preservation: https://www.afsc.org/blogs/news-and-commentary/congress-considering-legislation-to-protect-tps-ded-and-daca

American Friends Service: https://www.afsc.org/blogs/news-and-commentary/5-ways-to-take-action-against-family-separation

-