Manhattan Beach women’s group gathering donations for separated immigrant children
The north side of Pacific School may have a few more backpacks this Saturday than can usually be found on a weekend.
The Manhattan Beach Women’s Empowerment Huddle is hosting a donation drive this Saturday morning and again on April 6 in the school’s 17th Street parking lot. The group is collecting backpacks and more that will eventually be bound for children and families awaiting immigration proceedings.
The Huddle came together following the election of President Donald Trump in November 2016. The group hosted South Bay Congressman Ted Lieu, and volunteered extensively on behalf of Democratic candidates in last fall’s midterm elections.
But the latest fundraiser comes from an agreement among Huddle members to direct their efforts to a less explicitly partisan cause. The plight of children separated from their parents at the border seemed to resonate on both sides of the political aisle.
“For one thing it’s not a Democratic or a Republican thing. It’s children who are separated from their parents, or kids who are here with their parents but don’t have anything,” said Siemak, the Huddle’s chair.
Although immigration continues to be a divisive issue on the national level, the plight of children caught in the system typically generates more sympathy. Last summer, a series of administrative changes to immigration regulations resulted in children being separated from their parents at the border, which prompted widespread outrage. Amid multiple lawsuits, the Trump administration walked back the policy. According to court-assigned monitors, many, though not all, of the children have since been reunited with family or placed with a sponsor.
After settling on the issue, they tried to find a group with local connections. Kids in Need of Defense, or KIND, is a national organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization has long worked on a variety of children’s law issues, including juvenile justice. But it has recently increased its efforts to assist immigrant children, making the Los Angeles office one of the busiest.
Staff from KIND’s Los Angeles office connected with the Huddle about the work the group was doing. Jossiel Moreira, a KIND direct representation attorney, came and spoke to members about his pro-bono work on behalf of immigrants.
Like many groups working in immigrant advocacy, KIND told them the heavy workload means they are in need of attorneys who can volunteer their time. But children who are awaiting proceedings also need school supplies, toiletries, shoes and toys. (They are only accepting new goods.)
“These kids are already here in the United States,” fellow organizer Tracy Hahn said, “so we’re trying to jump in and do it right away.”