HIP Returns to the U.S.-Mexico Border to Lead Philanthropic Delegation
HIP HEADS DELEGATION TO THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AT U.S.-MEXICO BORDER
San Diego, CA—December 18, 2018
Today, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), a transnational network that works to increase impactful investment in Latino communities, kicked off a delegation of philanthropic organizations to the U.S.-Mexico border to visit with migrant-serving organizations in Tijuana. This emergency delegation is in response to a human rights crisis taking place in the southern border of migrants fleeing violence from their home countries and seeking asylum in the United States.
“While the images of children being kept in cages from the summer have faded from the headlines, the reality is that every day hundreds of asylum seekers fleeing the worst of conditions arrive at our borders, with nearly half of the exodus is made up of women and children with little access to food, water, or safe places to sleep,” said Ana Marie Argilagos, HIP’s President and CEO. “Our presence at the San Diego border, is not just to shed light on the current crisis, but to reset how we as philanthropic leaders approach immigration in this country, by focusing on racial equity and justice, and the critical role philanthropy must play.”
Responding to this urgent call, The California Endowment and other philanthropic leaders are taking part in this two-day delegation visit.
“The humanitarian crisis taking place at our border is heartbreaking. I have seen first-hand the trauma that families are going through, and it saddens me that more isn’t being done,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment. “We in Philanthropy have a responsibility to provide humanitarian aid and support to the families and nonprofit organizations attempting to cope with this crisis. Our nation’s failed immigration policies have led us to this current situation, and we must stand in unity to help those seeking asylum from oppression, violence, and death in their native countries.”
During the two-day delegation tour, in San Diego and Tijuana, participants will have the opportunity to speak with consulate representatives, community organizations, and faith-based groups on the ground who are in dire need of support as they are the only lifeline for many migrants, offering crucial services such as shelter, food, life-saving medical services, and important legal aid. These organizations are also helping to mitigate the impact on the communities that live along the border by providing a much-needed response to the increase of needy families entering the region.
“The hope in arranging these visits is to keep the focus on the very real human toll this administration’s policies have taken on the most vulnerable among us, and to better understand the tactics the government is using to criminalize immigrants and asylum seekers,” Argilagos, added. “While the policy debates continue, we must never lose sight of the fact that families—mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children—are the ones suffering the consequences of ill-informed and cruel government action.”
This past summer, during the beginning of the family separation crisis, HIP brought together a 50-member delegation of the country’s most important philanthropic organizations to better understand the process migrants undergo when they are reaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
For more information, contact HIP’s senior manager for media, policy, and advocacy, Sonia Melendez Reyes, at sonia@hiponline.org or 626-274-4877.
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