Responding to the Texas Border Crisis

by | Jul 17, 2014 | General

In recent months, Texas has seen a massive influx of unaccompanied minors reach the U.S. border. The majority of the unaccompanied children reaching the U.S. border are from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, most often leaving their homes because of violence in their home countries. A report by the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), citing 2012 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) data, highlighted that Honduras had a homicide rate of 90.4 per 100,000 people. El Salvador and Guatemala had homicide rates of 41.2 and 39.9, which rank 1st, 3rd and 4th around the globe.  As we seek faithful responses to this tragic crisis, here are some links that we hope are helpful:
     * The 5 Texas United Methodist Bishops have issued a Pastoral Letter regarding the crisis, which you can read here:  http://www.ntcmissionaloutreach.org/missional-outreach-blog/a-pastoral-letter-from-your-bishops-about-the-texas-border-crisis
     * Marji Bashir Hill of the North Texas Conference has posted this: http://www.ntcmissionaloutreach.org/missional-outreach-blog/texas-border-crisis-update-july-2014/

     * Laraine Waughtal at Central Texas Conference has a page that is a running update of needs related to the care of the children: http://ctcumc.org/pages/detail/2533

* JFON DFW is helping in two significant ways:

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins recently announced a plan to house 2,000 unaccompanied minors in Dallas county. Three locations have been vetted in Dallas and Grand Prairie.  JFON DFW is partnering with the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association in preparing to service the unaccompanied minors that will be housed in Dallas County. JFON DFW will know more details as soon as a move-in date is announced, and will post volunteer opportunities on its website and Facebook page for folks that want to help by donating goods or by providing legal services.

San Antonio houses children at multiple locations. They are at maximum capacity, and having trouble keeping up with the necessary legal screenings of the children.  National Justice For Our Neighbors has organized a response in support of the non-profit agencies that service the children there, and bilingual attorneys from around the JFON network will travel to San Antonio to help provide the legal screenings. JFON DFW is providing the services of its staff attorney, Maria Macias, who will be in San Antonio the second week of August. 

If you want to support JFON DFW in this important Christian effort, we would covet your prayers and those of your local faith community. We also welcome your financial gifts, which can be given conveniently and securely at stevec94.sg-host.com/donate

Let’s all do what we can to help these children, and those who are on the ground seeking to support them!