How to help separated families: 5 things you can do that take less than 5 minutes

The Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy is taking children from their parents at the border, and it’s heartbreaking. The images and audio of confused, scared children crying out for their parents from cages have rightfully dominated the news cycle, as more and more people protest and speak out. If you’re feeling outraged and want to stop a cruel policy that violates the UN’s guidelines for human rights at international borders, here are five things you can do in less than five minutes:

1. Call your member of Congress. Call 202-224-3121. State your zip code. When connected, tell them “I live in ___. I support SB3036, the ‘Keep Families Together Act’.”
2. Use ResistBot to text your members of Congress. Text RESIST to 50409 and it will help you contact your elected officials.
3. Donate to ActBlue, which splits donations between 12 different groups giving the most bang for your donation buck. Money goes to groups including, Al Otro Lado, The Florence Project, The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, We Belong Together, and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Donate here
4. Contact ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) by writing them here or call them at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. Register complaints with the Department of Homeland Security.
5. While money is best, if you want to donate essential items like diapers, wipes, shampoo, and soap directly to immigrant children, Baby2Baby and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) set up a baby registry at Target.