Recently I listened to a news story about immigration on This American Life. It examined the vast resources that are being sent to help Ukrainian asylum-seekers who are being welcomed into the United States with open arms. Meanwhile, just a short distance away, people seeking asylum from Mexico, Haiti, and countries in Central America wait for years in squalid, dangerous conditions. They struggle even to have their asylum claims heard and live under the threat of gun violence and kidnapping, with no support from the U.S. or Mexican governments.  

I’ve lived my life on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border, and I study immigration, so this contrast was not new to me. My whole life I’ve seen how immigrants are treated differently based on the color of their skin and their country of origin.

But this news story was a necessary reminder of why I do the work I do. It reified my commitment to change the systems that value some lives more than others. Most importantly, it reminded me to take actions that help people who are trapped in these systems now, even as I work for structural changes that will make things better in the future.

That’s why I joined the Immigrant Solidarity Committee. We’re a small group of volunteers focused on supporting people who are often ignored by other immigrant-serving organizations, like LGBTQ+, Central American, and Caribbean migrants.

We’re committed to helping individuals from these groups get through the asylum process with dignity and safety.

This year, our fundraiser is focused on raising money to pay for rent and legal fees for the guests we support as they transition from ICE detention to fuller and freer lives in the United States. We cannot do this work without your support, and all of the money raised will go directly to help migrants.

I’m donating, and I hope you will, too!

Love,
Kristy