On June 30, Americans plan to come out in droves with Families Belong Together, an organization resisting the Trump administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy.
The march — which will take place in more than 700 U.S. locations, including a mass march on the White House — is calling for a day of action around the country.
On the organization's website, it declares this:
"Families Belong Together opposes the cruel, inhumane, and unjustified separation of children from their parents along the U.S. border with Mexico and at other ports of entry into the U.S. We protest the conditions in which these children are kept. We protest the irreversible trauma that has already been perpetrated on these children and their parents for the crime of seeking a better life."
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
The march comes at the end of a month that has seen an unusually high level of controversy over issues of immigration.
In late May, the Trump administration issued an immigration policy that separated thousands of families at the Texas-Mexico border en masse.
Most immigrants arrive seeking asylum from violent situations in their home countries, and children experience irreversible trauma when separated from their parents. Despite this, the Trump administration has repeatedly mischaracterized immigrants as being largely criminals, sparking fear in many citizens and creating an unsafe environment for the large proportion of immigrants who abide by the law.
After the child separation policy was put in place, organizations around the country sprung into action.
One Texas organization raised millions of dollars to help provide migrant families with legal representation, while Upworthy's own Parker Molloy helped raise money by encouraging Americans to show that we "really do care" about immigrant families.
On the legal end of the issue, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) demanded a reversal of the policy and for kids to be reunited with their parents. At their request, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction that orders all children detained or misplaced be reunited with their parents within 30 days (children younger than 5 must be returned to their families within 14 days).
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
Though the order to reunite has been issued, there's much work to be done.
It took Trump weeks of public backlash to actually sign an executive order to end family separation, and there's no clear plan in place to reunite the 2,300 children who have been detained with there families.
It's why thousands of people are planning to march — and you can too.
On the Families Belong Together/Famalias Unidas No Divididas website, you can enter your zip code and find which of the more than 700 organized protests is near you.
Don't see one in your neighborhood? You can create one! By filling out a form on the website, you can organize a march in your area.
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.
If you're asking, "What if I can't go this weekend, but I still want to help?"
You're in luck! One great way to support the fight against the zero tolerance immigration policy is by donating to Human Rights Watch, which strives to reduce the detention of immigrants and asylum seekers. Families Belong Together also has a list of organizations that are fighting for or helping immigrants and asylum seekers, including RAICES, Al Otro Lado, and KIND (Kids in Need of Defense).
Lastly, you can email or write to your Congressman asking them to support legislation that reunites families that have been separated at the border.
It's true that much of the damage this immigration policy will cause has already been done. But by raising our voices and supporting organizations that have the power to create real change, we can end many families' pain — and make sure this never happens again.
