Donations to S.A. immigrant legal aid group reach millions of dollars

A demonstrator holds a protest sign during a rally against the separation of immigrant minors and their parents outside the Customers and Border Protection headquarters in Washington. Online donors have responded to call to assist immigrants separated from children in effort that helps S.A.-based legal nonprofit group RAICES. less A demonstrator holds a protest sign during a rally against the separation of immigrant minors and their parents outside the Customers and Border Protection headquarters in Washington. Online donors have ... more Photo: Alex Edelman /AFP /Getty Images Photo: Alex Edelman /AFP /Getty Images Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Donations to S.A. immigrant legal aid group reach millions of dollars 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

From California to Texas, Colorado to Tennessee and even north to Canada, people reacted to the U.S. policy of separating immigrants from their children by opening their wallets this week — donating millions of dollars online to a San Antonio-based legal defense group.

Spearheaded by a California couple whose initial goal was a modest $1,500, a Facebook fundraiser raised about $6.4 million in less than a week for RAICES, a nonprofit agency that provides legal aid to immigrants and refugees and runs a small shelter here.

RAICES’ own fundraising efforts, powered by the Action Network, an online mobilization tool, had raised nearly $2.5 million for its immigrant bond fund and had surpassed its initial goal of $819,000 for its fund to represent unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America.

It was not immediately clear whether that was part of the Facebook fund — but if it was a wholly separate effort, as it appeared, the total was more than $9.5 million by Tuesday evening. The organization’s small staff did not return requests for comment made by phone, email and Twitter.

One official at RAICES — it stands for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services — told USA Today on Monday that the donations have “absolutely blown us away.” Jennifer Hixon, RAICES’ director of education, outreach and development, told the paper that the nonprofit plans to speak about its plans for the funds Wednesday.

“We’ve rapidly reached out to other organizations doing complementary work in Texas to set up a network to cover all the federal courts, develop a database with all separated families, and a pro bono referral network to ensure representation for every family,” said Hixon, who also runs RAICES’ shelter and handles volunteers.

“This feels outrageously ambitious,” she added, “but we kind of feel like this is the moment to do the big things.”

The donations have been part of a crescendo of criticism against the Trump administration’s attempt to deter illegal immigration by routinely prosecuting undocumented border crossers as criminals, rather than treating the cases as civil misdemeanors. Most are now jailed, requiring they be separated from children accompanying them.

The agency needs additional attorneys and staff — “compassionate, sincere people with expertise” — as well as support systems, said María Antonietta Berriozábal, a former San Antonio city councilwoman and founder of the activist Pro Immigrant Coalition.

Berriozábal said she was thrilled with the spike in fundraising but not altogether surprised.

“People have heard the crying of the children and people have seen their faces,” Berriozábal said. “People have seen the pain on parents’ faces and people want to do something.”

The responses by donors she has read on Facebook indicate their feelings of helplessness in the face of inhumane policies but also illustrate the nation’s compassion, she added.

“Everyone prays, but that’s not enough,” Berriozábal said.

Local activists are planning a Vigil for Humanity at 6 p.m. Sunday in front of San Fernando Cathedral, she said.

Kate Mendez, who works for a social service agency in Greenville, South Carolina, was among those waiting to participate in a RAICES webinar for volunteers Tuesday that hadn’t materialized half an hour after its scheduled start as of 1:30 p.m.

She wanted to help and had hoped to get “a firsthand account of what was happening on the ground on the structural level,” Mendez said, calling the family separations “barbaric at worst, not thoughtful at best.”

The USA Today story called the Facebook fundraising for RAICES “the largest single fundraiser ever” on the site. It reportedly got contributions from the social media network’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and its top executive, Sheryl Sandberg.

Initiated by Charlotte and Dave Willner, a Silicon Valley couple, on Saturday morning, it had already received $5 million from more than 125,000 individuals by early Tuesday and showed no signs of stopping, Charlotte Willner said through a spokeswoman. The average donation was about $50.

RAICES’ own campaign, called RAICES Family Reunification and Bond Fund: FREE Our Families, explained the immediate legal needs of those immigrants separated from their children after apprehension.

“Parents separated from their children at the border (and other immigrants placed in detention) can’t get released from ICE custody to reunite with their families until they pay the full amount of their immigration bond,” its website said. “Bonds are set at a minimum of $1,500, and are usually in the range of $5,000 to $10,000, even for asylum seekers without any criminal history.

“Unlike in the criminal system, bail bond companies either do not help people in immigration proceedings or impose very strict requirements, like private ankle monitors (which families have to pay to ‘rent’).”

RAICES’ online discussion board for its Families Together: Pro Bono and Post Release Project continued to get supportive comments from people nationwide and beyond.

Late Tuesday, it received this note:

“I’m a retired Florida family lawyer and retired family court judge now living in Vancouver, Canada. I am willing to help however I can and am willing to travel. I am at your service.”

Elaine Ayala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala