On July 1st, we are running what is most likely the most difficult race of our lives: the Marathon du Mont-Blanc 42km.  It is a gruelling and elite 42km trail run from Chamonix, France, ascending over 3,000 metres throughout the race.  We will be tired, sore and likely in a ton of pain by the end.  However, it is not even one millionth of the pain that the Trump administration have put these children and families claiming asylum through who have been separated by ICE officials at the US border.  The ACLU is fighting these policies tirelessly and working hard to reunite each and every one of these families.  This is why we are raising money for the American Civil Liberties Union. 

When President Trump signed his executive order on family separation on June 19th, he proclaimed, “We are keeping families together and this will solve that problem.” But while the order may stop the prolonged, forcible separation of children from their families going forward, it by no means solves the problem.

More than 2,300 children at the US border have been taken away from their parents and sent to shelters, facilities and foster families all across the country, with seemingly no clear tracking mechanism. The executive order does not say anything about the plan to reunite these families, and the administration confirmed that it will not be making any special efforts to do so. The ACLU will be monitoring the administration’s actions to see if family separations really stop, and fighting where it makes a difference, in the court room. 

Some of the parents of these children have already been deported. Some of these children are too young to talk, and may not even know what countries they are from or what their parents’ names are. Most don’t speak English and some don’t speak any languages that are widely used in this country.

The trauma that has been inflicted on these families is irreparable, and it is going to be a logistical nightmare to undo it. 

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year to stop family separation and to demand that these children be reunited with their parents. 

The ACLU continues to fight to reunite all families and stop future separations. This crisis isn't over until the Trump administration proves that family separation has actually ended and every child has been reunited with their families.

For example, recently the ACLU filed a lawsuit to reunite Ms. L and her seven-year-old daughter, who were separated for four months. Mother and daughter had travelled a long journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach the United States, where they hoped to find safety. Instead, at the border ICE agents forcibly removed the child, who cried and screamed for her mother.

We must continue to fight to protect these innocent and vulnerable children and families.  Please donate to this amazing organisation if you can.  

Thank you!!!

Lots of love,

Sarah and Nadim