Mutual Aid For Separated Families

In 2018, the world watched in horror as the Trump administration put into effect the brutal "Zero Tolerance" policy that forcibly separated children from their parents at the U.S./Mexico border. The parents were deported back to their home country. Some of the children were just toddlers when they were taken from their parents. Others were young people on the brink of adolescence. More than 5,000 children were taken from their parents. In a deliberate act of bureaucratic incompetence, the government failed to keep accurate contact information for the parents, making it difficult and sometimes impossible for them to know the whereabouts of their children. 

As part of an oral history project spearheaded by Fanny García (Independent Oral Historian) and Nara Milanich (Professor of History at Barnard College), many mothers and fathers have been interviewed about the toll that the separation has created in their lives. The separation inflicted trauma on the entire family. Mothers shared their grief, anger, and anxiety about the loss of their children. Fathers struggled to share the powerlessness they felt against the government's actions. Through their grief, the families also shared their faith, resilience, and the strength to tell their story as a form of testimony to help other families and eradicate family separation policies. 

Through a reunification process established by the White House in 2021, some 300 families have been reunited with their children. Some are doing well and have the support of family and friends in their new homes in the United States. However, many others are experiencing hardship. This GoFundMe seeks to help ease some of the burdens that the transition from their home country to the United States causes. 

Through our oral history project, we often become aware that a small amount of money can make a big difference in the lives of a family. A child needs a pair of boots. A mom needs help with a cell phone bill. A dad needs part of a day’s wages to be able to attend a medical appointment. Reunited families experience hardship but also joy. These funds will also be used to make small gifts to celebrate significant achievements like high school graduations and the start of new jobs or moving into their first home! One of the young men we interviewed for the oral history project was 15 when he was separated from his mother. He graduated from high school and will attend Brooklyn College in Fall 2022. We would love to be able to provide education stipends for any parents and children interested in pursuing higher education.

To read more about the Zero Tolerance policy, check out this article in The Atlantic.

Please also read this Op Ed in the Washington Post about the advocacy efforts conducted with and for families.

Lastly, the family's oral histories are serving policy efforts; check out this update from the Women's Refugee Commission

Thank you for supporting immigrant families!