In October 2018, caravans of migrants began traveling north from Central America. The groups included people of all ages, including families and children – many of whom are escaping violence and poverty and seeking asylum in the U.S. and Mexico.
While the Trump administration exploited the caravan to advance its anti-immigrant agenda, AFSC organized a very different response. With support from communities across the country:
- We provided food, water, and other necessities to migrants along the route, operated human rights brigades to help keep people safe, and offered migrants legal services and counseling.
- We organized the "Love Knows No Borders: A moral call for migrant justice" week of action in December 2018, bringing more than 200 faith leaders to the U.S.-Mexico border for a mass action and supporting solidarity events across the U.S.
Thank you to all of our supporters who made this possible!
More resources
A message of thanks
Watch AFSC's Douglas Juarez share how generous AFSC supporters helped us respond to the migrant caravan.
Loves Knows No Borders: A moral call for migrant justice
AFSC and partners organized a nonviolent direct action at the border and more than 70 cities across the country organized local events in solidarity.
Hear from Bryan, a migrant caravan participant
Bryan is a DACA recipient who was deported to Guatemala after living in the U.S. for 22 years.
Why the U.S. should welcome all migrants with compassion and humanity
As we push back against xenophobic policies designed to keep people out of the U.S., it’s crucial to recognize our own government’s part in forcing people to flee.
How to talk about the migrant caravan
Here’s how you should talk about the migrant caravan to avoid reinforcing Trump's harmful messages.
A report from the migrant caravan
AFSC's Kerri Kennedy shares her experience traveling to Mexico City to meet with people in the caravans.
Update: Migrant caravan emergency response
Thanks to AFSC supporters, our response to the caravan is underway – one that recognizes our shared humanity and is grounded in kindness and compassion.
AFSC speaks out against border militarization and Trump's attacks on asylum
Treating our communities like war zones by deploying additional military personnel to the southern border is a heavy-handed approach that endangers the rights of migrants and residents of border communities.
The freedom to seek sanctuary
AFSC's Lucy Duncan offers a Quaker perspective on the migrant caravan.
Advocates travel to border to support migrant caravan
“Our presence is important in order to document and expose the human rights violations that men, women, and children are facing as they try to pass through Mexico,” said AFSC's David Tobasura.
Take action
Tell Congress: Cut funding for ICE and CBP!
Tell your legislators: Raids, border militarization, and cages don't make us safer!
Cut funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to defund hate!
In the news
- U.S. arrests 32 at San Diego border demonstration (AP News)
- U.S. arrests religious leaders, activists at border protest (Reuters)
- Why Were These Interfaith Leaders Arrested at the U.S.-Mexico Border? (The Nation)
- I Walked Right Up to Militarized Police at the Border (Yes Magazine)
- Religious Leaders Have Standoff with Armed Border Patrol (NowThis Politics)
- Dying to get through the U.S.-Mexico border (Unreported World)
- 32 Arrested at a Demonstration Near the Mexico Border in Support of Migrant Caravan (Time)
- Religious leaders arrested at U.S. border as Christians, Muslims, and Jews unite to protest migrant detention (Newsweek)
- Quakers lead rally of 200 religious leaders for immigrants at the border (The Hill)
- Conflict on U.S.-Mexico border intensifies (Real News Network)
- A report from the caravan (WHYY)
- How you can help as migrant caravans arrive at the U.S. border (YES! Magazine)
- Quaker relief worker recounts helping migrants in caravan get through Mexico (WHYY)
- Attack on asylum is dangerous and harmful (Relief Web)
