Positive action is how people should counter President Donald Trump's border security address, according to Hillary Clinton. On Tuesday night, just minutes before Trump's border speech in the Oval Office, Clinton urged people to contribute to organizations that help migrants.
"Want to fight back against Trump's ridiculous address tonight?" Clinton tweeted. "Send some support to organizations that help kids at the border." She also included a link to a donation page that supports several organizations that work to help migrants at the border.
"The only border crisis we're facing," Clinton added in her tweet, "is the inhumane detention of kids that has already led to the deaths of two children." Clinton was referring to the deaths of two Guatemalan children, 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin, who died in Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) custody in separate incidents.
Felipe, who was diagnosed with the flu according to The Cut, was in custody when he died after his condition reportedly got worse. Jakelin passed away due to dehydration and septic shock, according to The Washington Post.
Although Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen acknowledged the deaths of both children, she issued a statement in which she appeared to put the blame for these incidents on trafficking, "activist judges," and people who want "open borders." She said her department was looking into their cases and work on improving conditions for detained migrant children.
Clinton’s link takes users to the nonprofit ActBlue’s website where it lists several prominent migrant advocacy groups, including the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, Families Belong Together, the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights program, Human Rights First, Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND), and more.
People interested in donating have the option of giving whichever amount they can. According to ActBlue, the contributions will be distributed evenly among the groups.
On Wednesday, Clinton tweeted an update, saying that ActBlue had raised more than $100,000 in contributions.
In addition to migrants languishing at the U.S.-Mexico border, hundreds of thousands of federal workers face financial uncertainty as they struggle to pay for their food, health, and mortgages, among other things.
The government shutdown is taking a toll on federal workers and many of them have expressed their frustration with the state of affairs. In places like Philadelphia and Missouri, federal workers have staged protests, demanding that the government be reopened.
But it's unclear just when the current government shutdown will end. Based on Trump's remarks so far, the shutdown may go on for the foreseeable future. Top Democrats and Trump have said that they haven't reached an agreement over the border security issue. The president called his meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a "total waste of time."
But there are ways to protest against the shutdown and help those affected by it. If you're interested, head over to this list to learn more.
Disclosure: Hillary Clinton's son-in-law Marc Mezvinsky joined Social Capital, an investor in Bustle Digital Group, in mid 2017 and joined the Board of Bustle Digital Group in early 2018.
