DE CHICAGO

Dear Supporter, I am writing to ask for your help. Over the past several weeks, we have all been shocked and horrified by the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the US-Mexico border, where thousands unaccompanied migrant children are being held in makeshift detention camps. Most of these children are refugees from Central America, victims of a failed and misguided US foreign policy and the growing epidemic of organized criminal violence sweeping the region. This is truly a regional crisis, as children are also fleeing into Costa Rica, Belize and other neighboring countries in the region. Most, however, pass in transit through Mexico en route to a safe haven in the United States. We spotted this crisis brewing more than a year ago. Our members warned us that people in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador were becoming desperate to seek safety and reunite their families, so we organized delegations to visit the region in the summer of 2013. Our mission was to combine a public education message about the realities of the stalled US immigration policy reform, with efforts to engage the governments of the region. Sadly, our warnings were ignored by policy makers before it was too late to head off the current predicament. The fact that we saw it coming does not make the current situation any less heartbreaking. To the contrary, NALACC members are more committed than ever to our call for administrative relief from deportations and the implementation of humanitarian policies that protect migrant children on the United States soil, including re-uniting them with family members. We are also collaborating with allies here and in the broader region to call for policy responses that address the root causes of the crisis rather than simply deepen the militarization of borders and criminalization of migrants. To do this, we need your help. Donations in any amount are deeply appreciated. We are particularly hoping to build a group of monthly supporters so that we can sustain this work over time. Your donation of $10 or $25 per month will make an enormous difference. If we have learned one thing from this crisis, it is that ignoring the problem will not make it go away. The humanitarian tragedy on the border didn’t arise over night, and it isn’t going away any time soon. The reality for these children will be no less dire once the cameras drift away. We want to make sure we will be able to fight for them for as long as it takes. Please help. You can support NALACC online or send a check to NALACC at 1638 S. Blue Island, Chicago, IL 60608. NALACC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Sincerely yours, Oscar A. Chacón Executive Director, NALACC