How can I help? Ideas for supporting immigrant communities.

There are many organizations working to support immigrants during these incredibly difficulty times. Here are just a few ideas if you'd like a place to start.

If you want to support those in Minnesota

"Across Minnesota, ICE continues to stop, harass, and detain people regardless of their citizenship status. Normal life in Minnesota has been interrupted, as schools have been forced to close or go virtual, as people live in fear of leaving their homes or going to work. Minnesotans are organized and activated to respond to this violence."

Stand with Minnesota is a website that consolidates donation requests for folks directly helping immigrants on the ground in Minnesota. Everything is vetted, with the exception of individual GoFundMe requests.

If you don't have the resources to donate, you can send a message of hope, inspiration or gratitude to folks working on the ground to support immigrants in Minnesota. You can also access local news reports, read testimonials, or get ideas about other actions to take.

If you live in Colorado

The Colorado Rapid Response Network is a network of over 1,800 volunteers across the state who respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. It is a 24 hour 7 days a week hotline with dispatchers on call to answer the phone and send first responders. If you’d like to attend a CORRN training, fill this form out to receive emails about future trainings.

If you are bilingual, they would love to train you to be a dispatcher. Dispatchers take one 12 (or 6 hour) hour shift every other week, from their own home. Calls are forwarded to your cell. This position is the heart of their operation and they always need more folks!

The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is another organization doing great work to support immigrant communities in Colorado. "CIRC is a statewide coalition of immigrant, labor, interfaith, youth and ally organizations founded in 2002 to build a unified statewide voice to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees in Colorado and the United States. CIRC achieves this mission through non-partisan civic engagement, public education and advocacy to win fair, humane and workable public policies."

If you want Congress to stand up to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security

Contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative and tell them what you think. They all have email addresses that their staff members check. You can find them at the links above. I have attended many meetings with both Senators and Representatives, and they really do want to hear from their constituents!

For an easy way to engage, check out the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Congressional Advocacy Center.

Knowledge, preparation, and solidarity can make a meaningful difference, especially in difficult times. Please share these resources with anyone who may need them.

Used with permission of the artist, Shepard Fairey