Ways You Can Help Separated Families Beyond Giving
Here is a sampling of volunteer opportunities in the U.S. for those who wish to help with the crisis of family separation at the Border. In addition to these opportunities, you can still give HERE. 100% of what Together Rising receives from your tax-deductible donations goes toward advocacy & reunification efforts for these families.
Are you a lawyer seeking to volunteer on a pro bono basis?
There is an urgent need for lawyers – of any specialty – as well as paralegals and law students, to be trained to take on pro bono immigration cases. Please see below for ways to get involved:
KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) has a mission to ensure that no child appears in immigration court without high-quality representation. KIND also works at the policy level, looking for durable solutions to child migration. Become a trained KIND volunteer, or get involved in one of their many social networking awareness efforts at: https://supportkind.org/get-involved
Please contact Nirupa Narayan, head of Pro Bono recruitment and training if you have any questions ([email protected]).
Help immediately from your home through We The Action, a digital platform that makes it easy for lawyers to fill urgent needs through critical, impactful legal services for non-profit partners. Projects are available for lawyers to aid parents and children who have been separated at the border. Projects can be done remotely, with any bar license. Lawyers can sign up to access projects here and nonprofits who need lawyers can sign up here.
The mission of the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project is to provide free legal and social services to detained adults and unaccompanied children facing immigration removal proceedings in Arizona. They ensure that all immigrants facing removal have access to counsel, understand their rights under the law, and are treated fairly and humanely. The project is in need of lawyers in specific locations. The Florence Project can be reached by email ([email protected]).
The Innovation Law Lab was founded in 2014 in response to the mass detention of immigrant women and children, primarily entering the United States from Central America and seeking asylum. They now do work in family and adult detention centers and immigration courts throughout the country. They have a need for individuals to volunteer in the following capacity: Attorneys willing to take on pro bono asylum cases for immigrants in Atlanta, GA; Portland, OR; Kansas City, MO; and additional locations. Attorneys and volunteers to assist with bond and sponsorship requests for individuals in adult detention centers throughout the country. Interpreters (particularly for less commonly spoken languages, including Pulaar, Tigrinya, and indigenous Central American languages). And data analysts. To learn more, visit innovationlawlab.org or email Victoria Bejarano Muirhead, Development Director, at [email protected].
Immigration lawyers are needed at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. This national association of immigration lawyers was established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law/policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members. Visit www.aila.org for details about how you can help.
Volunteers are needed through the Dilley Pro Bono Project at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) and through RAICES at the Karnes Residential Center (located roughly an hour southwest of San Antonio, TX). For more information on volunteering at Karnes, email karnesvolunteer@
Human Rights First matches asylum-seekers who need help and lawyers who can represent them on a pro bono basis in specific locations. They provide mentoring, training, and guidance throughout the representation to ensure that pro bono lawyers get the support they need to provide the highest quality legal representation to clients seeking asylum. Through the Refugee Representation program at Human Rights First, volunteer lawyers have the unique opportunity to change the lives of refugees by helping them gain asylum in the United States. Please see their website for details about how to volunteer www.Humanrightsfirst.org
Texas locals with Spanish and English proficiencies are needed at the Diocesan Migrant Refugee Services. Volunteers can provide assistance to the DMRS in the following ways: legal research, writing and administrative tasks (pre-law and paralegal students only), front desk assistance, administrative work, translation of legal documents and statements from Spanish to English, conducting community education presentations, administrative/project assistance, completing special projects as needed. If you are interested in volunteering with DMRS, please download and complete their Volunteer Application. A Background check clearance through the Diocese of El Paso is required. Volunteers must have Availability during office hours (Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30). Volunteer opportunities in the evenings and on weekends are rare. Mail, fax, or email completed applications to Katie Hudak, Development Coordinator. Katie can be reached at (915) 532-3975, ext. 213, or [email protected].
Texas Civil Rights Project is seeking interns and volunteers. If you are interested in helping to reunite families separated along the border please visit this page for more information. TCRP depends heavily on pro bono partnerships to expand the reach of their legal advocacy. Pro bono opportunities are diverse, ranging from research projects to civil rights trials to appellate work. Past and current pro bono counsel represent all faces of the legal community.
Opportunity for Lawyers in Tijuana, Mexico and Southern California – Al Otro Lado is a bi-national, direct legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana. They welcome legal, medical, social service, mental health, and other volunteers who wish to assist refugees on both sides of the border. To volunteer, please complete the volunteer application here. They have an urgent need for individuals willing to provide short- and long-term housing for asylum seekers who otherwise cannot be released from detention. If you are willing to host an individual asylum seeker or family, please email Jose Mares ([email protected]) or visit https://alotrolado.org/programs/refugee-program/ for more information.
Las Americas is a 30 year-old, homegrown non-profit located in Texas, dedicated to serving the legal needs of low income immigrants, including refugees, victims of crime, and families seeking reunification. Las Americas lawyers and staff are committed to providing legal representation to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it. Community members volunteer answer phones and greet prospective clients, and handle light administrative work. Student internship possibilities exist for social workers, law students, and doctoral candidates and include the following specialties: legal, community organizing, fundraising and marketing, public relations, clerking, and administrative. For more information, email [email protected] or call (915) 544-5126
ALDEA – The People’s Justice Center provides quality pro bono or discounted legal representation. Aldea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was formed, in part, as a response to the continued detention of mothers, fathers, and children at the Berks County Residential Center, an immigrant detention center in Leesport, Pennsylvania that holds asylum seeking families. It is Aldea’s mission to ensure that no parent and child detained at Berks is forced to navigate the complex immigration process alone. Aldea also represents other detained and non-detained individuals, including those caught up in illegal raids and parents separated from their children by Customs and Border Patrol. Aldea is supported by volunteer attorneys and advocates who specialize in immigration law and who have years of expertise representing underserved immigrant communities. They are seeking attorneys and legal assistants. If you are interested, please complete a survey found under the “volunteer opportunities” section. https://aldeapjc.org/#involved
Santa Fe Dreamers Project is a non-profit legal services organization serving New Mexico’s immigrant community. Since 2014, the Dreamers Project has primarily served immigrant youth and families, focusing on economic and community development. They are looking for pro bono attorneys as well as people with Spanish, French and Portuguese language skills who can assist with translations and interviews. Necessary training will be provided. If you are interested, fill out the volunteer survey using link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsvuo54DGWTM-FVpGWSUUanXMBEOECm2HUW3O1D5xzYk4Agg/viewform For questions, please [email protected]
Are you a non-lawyer who wants to volunteer?
To receive daily updates on how to protect immigrant youth and families and support efforts in your community and Washington, D.C, visit We Belong Together at https://webelongtogether.org/
The Legal Aid Justice Center is seeking volunteers in Virginia to host house parties raising money to battle family separation, and create care packages for detained kids. Contact Contessa at [email protected] for more information and support planning your party. Their offices can also be reached by phone: Charlottesville (434-977-0553), Northern Virginia (703-778-3450), Petersburg (804-862-2205), and Richmond (804-643-1086).
Friends of HOLA is an Ohio ally group supporting HOLA, a small, grassroots Latino organization that focuses on advocacy, community organizing, leadership development, and civic engagement. Friends of HOLA supports HOLA by fundraising, helping individuals prepare for the U.S. citizenship test, providing support to individuals and families, providing educational presentations to community organizations, and much more. Friends of HOLA meets monthly in the Painesville and Cleveland Heights areas. There are a variety of projects and volunteer needs to fit different skills, interests and schedules. Contact [email protected] or visit holatoday.org/get-involved for more information
The Diocesan Migrant Refugee Services in Texas is a full-service immigration legal aid clinic serving low-income immigrants and refugees. The DMRS is seeking volunteers with Spanish and English proficiencies who can provide assistance in any of the following areas: legal research, writing and administrative tasks (pre-law and paralegal students only), front desk assistance, administrative work, translation of legal documents and statements from Spanish to English, and conducting community education presentations. If you are interested in volunteering with DMRS, please download and complete the volunteer application. A background check clearance through the Diocese of El Paso is required. Volunteers must have availability during office hours (Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30). Volunteer opportunities in the evenings and on weekends are rare. Mail, fax, or email completed applications to Katie Hudak, Development Coordinator. Katie can be reached at (915) 532-3975, ext. 213, or [email protected].
The Texas Civil Rights Project is seeking interns and volunteers in Texas. If you are interested in helping to reunite families being separated along the border, please visit this page for more information. The Texas Civil Rights Project is currently in need of volunteers and interns in finance and operations departments. Undergraduate students may also apply for school credit, as TCRP has longstanding relationships with a number of universities and colleges.
The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project is in seeking medical professionals, country conditions experts, interpreters, data entry and administrative support professionals in specific locations. The project is in particular need of a 20 hour a week volunteer in the Phoenix, AZ area to help increase capacity to respond to increase in offers of goods and services. Please email ([email protected]).
The Innovation Law Lab was founded in 2014 in response to the mass detention of immigrant women and children, primarily entering the United States from Central America and seeking asylum. They now do work in family and adult detention centers and immigration courts throughout the country. They have a need for individuals to volunteer in the following capacity: Attorneys willing to take on pro bono asylum cases for immigrants in Atlanta, GA; Portland, OR; Kansas City, MO; and additional locations. Attorneys and volunteers to assist with bond and sponsorship requests for individuals in adult detention centers throughout the country. Interpreters (particularly for less commonly spoken languages, including Pulaar, Tigrinya, and indigenous Central American languages). And data analysts. To learn more, visit innovationlawlab.org or email Victoria Bejarano Muirhead, Development Director, at [email protected].
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, collectively known as CARA, have joined forces in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) significant expansion of its family detention at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) and the Karnes Residential Center. The CARA pro bono project is seeking paralegals and Spanish speakers who can help provide legal services to families. Dilley Pro Bono Project contacts are Caya Simonsen, who can be reached at [email protected] and Barbara Pena at [email protected]. http://caraprobono.org/
Al Otro Lado is a bi-national, direct legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico and Southern California. They welcome legal, medical, social service and mental health professionals, as well as other volunteers who wish to assist refugees on both sides of the border. A volunteer application can be found here. There is an urgent need for individuals willing to provide short- and long-term housing for asylum seekers who otherwise cannot be released from detention. If you are willing to host an individual asylum seeker or family, please e-mail Jose Mares ([email protected]) or visit https://alotrolado.org/programs/refugee-program/ for more information.
Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, accompanies the migrant, homeless, and economically vulnerable peoples of the border region through hospitality, advocacy, and education. They place themselves among the poor so as to live in faith and transform understanding of what constitutes just relationships between peoples, countries, and economies. Annunciation House offers a year long volunteer program, and volunteer summer internship possibilities. See: https://annunciationhouse.org/about-2/history-philosophy/
Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee located in El Paso, TX advocates for more humane policies and practices in migrant detention. Their collective effort is dedicated to nurturing a safe and welcoming community for all. In addition to donations, they are looking for translators, and people to participate in book drives. They also host monthly potluck meetings that are open to the public. https://dmscelpaso.wixsite.com/dmscelpaso
Diocesan Migrant Refugee Services is seeking volunteers to serve as front desk and administrative staff. If you are interested in volunteering with DMRS, please download and complete their Volunteer Application. Mail, fax, or email completed applications to Katie Hudak, Development Coordinator. Katie can be reached at (915) 532-3975, ext. 213, or [email protected].
The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies protects the fundamental human rights of refugee women, children, LGBTQ individuals, and others who flee persecution in their home countries. They offer legal expertise and training, and work in policy development, research, and fact-finding. Please see their tool kit for ways to get involved: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z0fu3uoyPWThK6CC2i-rii-try64zU9Zga_ChX9gfsU/edit
If you are an interpreter, or fluent in a second language, call legal service providers to volunteer your services. Find a list here: https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/)
Are you able to open your home to Asylum Seekers for short-term or long-term care?
Al Otro Lado is a bi-national, direct legal services organization serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico and Southern California. They have an urgent need for individuals willing to provide short- and long-term housing for asylum seekers who otherwise cannot be released from detention. If you are willing to host an individual asylum seeker or family, please email Jose Mares ([email protected]) or visit https://alotrolado.org/programs/refugee-program/ for more information.
Join and uplift actions and events happening across the country, or mobilize your own. On June 30 there will be a “Families Belong Together” national day of action, with more than 650 events in all 50 states, and an anchor protest in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of people are expected to participate. The actions are focused on opposing the separation and detention of immigrant families, and demanding reunification and policy change. Events are here: familiesbelongtogether.org.
Also, you can still give here: www.togetherrising.org/give. 100% of what Together Rising receives from your tax-deductible donations goes toward advocacy and reunification efforts for these families.