Border Angels FAQ
1. What is your mission statement?
As a 501(c)3 organization, our mission is to promote a culture of love through advocacy, education, by creating a social consciousness, and engaging in direct action to defend the rights of migrants and refugees. The work of Border Angels has been rooted in this mission since its founding in 1986.
2. Do you have offices in locations outside of San Diego?
Our main office is in San Diego, CA and is located in the Sherman Heights Community Center at:
2258 Island Ave., San Diego, CA 92102
3. How can I get involved and become a volunteer?
Our work is volunteer led, and we are thankful to everyone that wants to volunteer with us. Volunteers help at community events, conduct outreach and participate in our Water Drops, Caravans of Love and Day Laborer Outreaches. If you’re interested in volunteering, fill out our volunteer form.
You can contact our Volunteer Coordinator Osvaldo Ruiz at [email protected] for more information. To stay up-to-date and check out all opportunities, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
4. Do I need to speak Spanish to volunteer?
We help diverse communities and Spanish is not the only language that many speak. Therefore Spanish is not a requirement to volunteer. We have opportunities for everyone, regardless of what language they speak.
5. How old do you have to be to join any event? (water drop or DLO)
The minimum age for Water Drop volunteers is 13 year and the minor must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Prior to the scheduled water drop, we ask the parent or legal guardian to complete and sign a waiver.
There are no age limitations for other volunteer opportunities, but minors are still required to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and have a signed waiver.
6. Can I volunteer at a detention center?
Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing centers are not open to the public. Community members cannot volunteer at a detention center.
7. Do you offer educational group activities?
We offer a variety of educational group activities including visits to Friendship Park, Water Drops, presentations and more. If you are interested in booking an educational trip for your group, school, organization, you can do so by completing this form.
For more information you can reach out to our Educational Programs Coordinator, Ana Miguel, at [email protected].
8. Does your organization provide lodging or transportation for volunteers or interns?
Transportation and lodging is not provided for volunteers or interns at this time. If you will be traveling to San Diego to volunteer with us and have any questions, please email us at [email protected]
9. How can I donate?
There are a few different ways one can donate to Border Angels. We have partnerships with H&R Block, Ralphs and Rite Aid. To learn more about those partnerships, read here.
For those interested in donating to our Familias Reunidas Bond Fund, those donations can be made here.
Monetary contributions can be made to support our organization in general or to our specific programs. Donations can be made online or via Venmo @border-angels.
Check donations can be mailed to 2258 Island Ave., San Diego, CA 92102. Make checks out to Border Angels. If your donation is for a specific program, please add a note in the memo line.
10. Do you sell Border Angels merchandise?
Our merchandise can be found here. We sell a variety of t-shirts, stickers, pins, water bottles, etc. International shipping available, subject to extra charge.
11. What kind of donations can you accept?
The Border Angels team is able to do the work that it does because of the volunteers and the donations from so many people. While we welcome monetary donations, we also accept donations of physical goods.
Unfortunately, we do not accept used clothing or shoes. Clothes and shoes that are donated must be brand new with tags. Linens, such as towels and blankets, can be lightly used and in good condition. Most of our donations go to our shelter aid program and some go towards our Day Laborer Outreach program. Donations of goods that can be used by our Water Drop team are provided to them.
We are always in need of the following items:
Donations can also be earmarked for specific programs. If you want to donate goods to a particular program, either make a note or inform the team when dropping off the items.
Please send an email if you have additional questions to [email protected]
12. Can I donate to the individuals inside the detention centers?
There are ways to donate money that can be transferred into migrants’ commissary fund, however Border Angels does not coordinate that work at the moment. There are other organizations that provide that support, such as San Diego’s Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.
13. Do you take donations to the detention centers?
Unfortunately donations from community members are not accepted by detention centers. Donations of physical items are taken to shelters in Tijuana, Mexico and are given to those released from detention that we have helped to bond out as needed.
14. Can I make a fundraiser for your organization?
We welcome opportunities to increase our ability to provide services and support to our immigrant community. If you’re interested in hosting a fundraiser for our organization or for one of our programs specifically, please see our Fundraising Toolkit. For all other fundraising questions please send an email to [email protected]
15. Is it safe to attend a water drop?
Our trained and experienced Water Drop team do their best to take as many safety precautions as possible. However, it is important for potential volunteers to understand that the team does hike in the backcountry of the desert and mountains, many times on unmarked trails. While out in the desert or mountains the team has to deal with extreme weather, cacti and other obstacles that come along with hiking on rough terrain. Oftentimes they come across poisonous snakes and insects that can pose a threat.
While our team leads prepare for every possible threat and challenge, everyone that participates does so at their own risk.
16. Will I need my passport to participate in a water drop?
While a passport is not required to take part in water drops, volunteers do need a valid government-issued identification card.
17. If I have DACA can I participate in a water drop?
Yes, but you must do so at your own risk. While those with valid DACA are currently protected in the US, the program is being actively litigated in the Supreme Court. It is important to stay updated on the current status of the program. Home is Here publishes updated DACA information on their website regularly. Please stay informed.
*On June 15, 2012, the Obama Administration signed an Executive Order calling for the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Being granted Deferred Action means that during a certain period of time, in this case for two years, a person cannot be deported unless a serious crime is committed. This meant to provide protections to estimated 800,000 young adults or teenagers that were brought to the US without “authorization” by their parent(s) when they were children.
Those granted DACA are eligible to work in the US and are issued a Social Security Number, in addition to being protected from deportation*
18. Do we cross the border when joining a water drop?
The Water Drop program is only in the US; volunteers and staff do not travel to Mexico when they are out in the desert or mountains. However, you will cross through a Border Patrol checkpoint, so we recommend having your passport, permanent resident card, or government issued documents when participating in a Water Drop.
19. Is participating in a water drop legal?
It is legal to leave potentially life saving supplies for migrants out in the desert and mountains. Our team travels through public land and does not leave supplies on private property.
20. Can I join a water drop if I am undocumented?
Immigrants and migrants that have documentation, such as DACA, a green card (legal permanent resident status) or a work permit, can participate in our water drops. We do not recommend those that do not have documentation to volunteer for our water drops; when going to key locations, we must pass through a Border Patrol checkpoint and regularly come across Border Patrol agents. We do not want anyone to be at risk.
21. Where are children held when detained or when separated from their parent(s)/guardian(s)?
Minors that come into the custody of either ICE or CBP, which includes Border Patrol, and are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian OR if they are separated from their parent(s) while in custody for other reasons, will most likely be classified as unaccompanied minors (UAC).
Specific safeguards and protections for families and children that come in contact with immigration enforcement officials were put in place as a result of the Flores Agreement, which was the result of many years of litigation. The agreement states that minors and families cannot be detained in processing or detention centers that are meant for adults for more than 72 hours. Unaccompanied minors must be transferred over to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These agencies have contracts with various shelter providers. In San Diego the main shelter program is Southwest Key Programs.
These organizations work with ORR to reunify the children with their family or sponsors. The current administration has been trying to reduce the protections offered to children and families as regulated by the agreement; for more information on this, see here. There have been many reports of minors being abused while in custody by immigration enforcement and while residing at these ORR funded shelters.
When families are detained by immigration, they can either be released to family members or friends in the US, they can be sent to a family detention center or they can be placed under the Migrant Protection Protocols program (commonly referred to as Remain in Mexico).
22. How can a parent in detention find their child? Do they get any information?
If a minor child is classified as an Unaccompanied Minor, family members have the right to contact the Health and Human Services hotline number at 1-800-203-7001 or via email at [email protected] to find out where they are being detained.
If the child is over 18 years old, they are considered an adult and can be located via the ICE website here.
Keep in mind that many immigrants that are detained by CBP or other law enforcement agencies are transferred or later picked up by ICE. When looking for a loved one it is important to check the ICE locator even if one is unsure who detained them.
25. How can I contact a local representative to voice my concern?
Reaching out to your elected officials is a great way to advocate from the comfort and safety of your home during this pandemic. One can email or call their office to share their personal views, either pro or against, on a certain bill or issue. Contact information for legislators is public and can be obtained on the official’s website and through the respective city, county or state websites. It is important for constituents to express their concerns to elected officials.
To look up your State Senator, Assembly Member, and Congressional Representative, one can look here. San Diego City Council Members can be found here. At times it might be helpful to reach out to the Board of Supervisors, their information can be found here.
26. How can I get involved when not in San Diego?
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that there are many creative and virtual ways to organize and to continue advocating for issues we are passionate about. From the comfort of our home, we can reach out to legislators by phone or email, begin a fundraiser for a specific program or cause, donate money, and spread awareness by sharing articles that are published by reputable media outlets.
Our country is experiencing a lot of turmoil and we are seeing more and more how many social justice issues are connected and how the work is truly intersectional. For example, when we advocate for our sisters and brothers that are seeking asylum and that are detained by ICE, part of the fight involves addressing issues of systemic racism and oppression. A common misconception is that those seeking asylum are only from Latin America or Spanish speakers, but in reality many African and South Asian migrants, as well people from other countries, are currently detained by ICE. One can look up the demographics of people in removal proceedings here.
By sharing the truth about the complexities of immigration and the horrible conditions of detention on social media platforms and by making sure we don’t use dehumanizing language, we can begin to shift the narrative of immigrants and asylum seekers. For example, we do not use the word “illegal” when referring to undocumented immigrants or to describe the way that people arrived to this country.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive information on calls-to-action here.
As a 501(c)3 organization, our mission is to promote a culture of love through advocacy, education, by creating a social consciousness, and engaging in direct action to defend the rights of migrants and refugees. The work of Border Angels has been rooted in this mission since its founding in 1986.
2. Do you have offices in locations outside of San Diego?
Our main office is in San Diego, CA and is located in the Sherman Heights Community Center at:
2258 Island Ave., San Diego, CA 92102
3. How can I get involved and become a volunteer?
Our work is volunteer led, and we are thankful to everyone that wants to volunteer with us. Volunteers help at community events, conduct outreach and participate in our Water Drops, Caravans of Love and Day Laborer Outreaches. If you’re interested in volunteering, fill out our volunteer form.
You can contact our Volunteer Coordinator Osvaldo Ruiz at [email protected] for more information. To stay up-to-date and check out all opportunities, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
4. Do I need to speak Spanish to volunteer?
We help diverse communities and Spanish is not the only language that many speak. Therefore Spanish is not a requirement to volunteer. We have opportunities for everyone, regardless of what language they speak.
5. How old do you have to be to join any event? (water drop or DLO)
The minimum age for Water Drop volunteers is 13 year and the minor must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Prior to the scheduled water drop, we ask the parent or legal guardian to complete and sign a waiver.
There are no age limitations for other volunteer opportunities, but minors are still required to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and have a signed waiver.
6. Can I volunteer at a detention center?
Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing centers are not open to the public. Community members cannot volunteer at a detention center.
7. Do you offer educational group activities?
We offer a variety of educational group activities including visits to Friendship Park, Water Drops, presentations and more. If you are interested in booking an educational trip for your group, school, organization, you can do so by completing this form.
For more information you can reach out to our Educational Programs Coordinator, Ana Miguel, at [email protected].
8. Does your organization provide lodging or transportation for volunteers or interns?
Transportation and lodging is not provided for volunteers or interns at this time. If you will be traveling to San Diego to volunteer with us and have any questions, please email us at [email protected]
9. How can I donate?
There are a few different ways one can donate to Border Angels. We have partnerships with H&R Block, Ralphs and Rite Aid. To learn more about those partnerships, read here.
For those interested in donating to our Familias Reunidas Bond Fund, those donations can be made here.
Monetary contributions can be made to support our organization in general or to our specific programs. Donations can be made online or via Venmo @border-angels.
Check donations can be mailed to 2258 Island Ave., San Diego, CA 92102. Make checks out to Border Angels. If your donation is for a specific program, please add a note in the memo line.
10. Do you sell Border Angels merchandise?
Our merchandise can be found here. We sell a variety of t-shirts, stickers, pins, water bottles, etc. International shipping available, subject to extra charge.
11. What kind of donations can you accept?
The Border Angels team is able to do the work that it does because of the volunteers and the donations from so many people. While we welcome monetary donations, we also accept donations of physical goods.
Unfortunately, we do not accept used clothing or shoes. Clothes and shoes that are donated must be brand new with tags. Linens, such as towels and blankets, can be lightly used and in good condition. Most of our donations go to our shelter aid program and some go towards our Day Laborer Outreach program. Donations of goods that can be used by our Water Drop team are provided to them.
We are always in need of the following items:
- Adult undergarments (all sizes)
- Kids undergarments (all sizes)
- New clothing & shoes (all sizes for adults & children)
- Diapers & Pull-ups
- Reusable Water Bottles
- Toilet Paper & wipes
- Shampoo, body soap & deodorant
- Toothbrushes & toothpaste
- Body lotion & hand sanitizer
- Cold Medicine (for adults & children)
- Prenatal vitamins & multivitamins (for adults & children)
- Disposable plates, cups & cutlery
- Non-perishable food items (ie. rice, beans, pasta, etc.)
- Dish soap, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies (ie. bleach, all purpose cleaners, etc.)
- Children’s books & arts & craft supplies (preferably in Spanish)
Donations can also be earmarked for specific programs. If you want to donate goods to a particular program, either make a note or inform the team when dropping off the items.
Please send an email if you have additional questions to [email protected]
12. Can I donate to the individuals inside the detention centers?
There are ways to donate money that can be transferred into migrants’ commissary fund, however Border Angels does not coordinate that work at the moment. There are other organizations that provide that support, such as San Diego’s Otay Mesa Detention Resistance.
13. Do you take donations to the detention centers?
Unfortunately donations from community members are not accepted by detention centers. Donations of physical items are taken to shelters in Tijuana, Mexico and are given to those released from detention that we have helped to bond out as needed.
14. Can I make a fundraiser for your organization?
We welcome opportunities to increase our ability to provide services and support to our immigrant community. If you’re interested in hosting a fundraiser for our organization or for one of our programs specifically, please see our Fundraising Toolkit. For all other fundraising questions please send an email to [email protected]
15. Is it safe to attend a water drop?
Our trained and experienced Water Drop team do their best to take as many safety precautions as possible. However, it is important for potential volunteers to understand that the team does hike in the backcountry of the desert and mountains, many times on unmarked trails. While out in the desert or mountains the team has to deal with extreme weather, cacti and other obstacles that come along with hiking on rough terrain. Oftentimes they come across poisonous snakes and insects that can pose a threat.
While our team leads prepare for every possible threat and challenge, everyone that participates does so at their own risk.
16. Will I need my passport to participate in a water drop?
While a passport is not required to take part in water drops, volunteers do need a valid government-issued identification card.
17. If I have DACA can I participate in a water drop?
Yes, but you must do so at your own risk. While those with valid DACA are currently protected in the US, the program is being actively litigated in the Supreme Court. It is important to stay updated on the current status of the program. Home is Here publishes updated DACA information on their website regularly. Please stay informed.
*On June 15, 2012, the Obama Administration signed an Executive Order calling for the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Being granted Deferred Action means that during a certain period of time, in this case for two years, a person cannot be deported unless a serious crime is committed. This meant to provide protections to estimated 800,000 young adults or teenagers that were brought to the US without “authorization” by their parent(s) when they were children.
Those granted DACA are eligible to work in the US and are issued a Social Security Number, in addition to being protected from deportation*
18. Do we cross the border when joining a water drop?
The Water Drop program is only in the US; volunteers and staff do not travel to Mexico when they are out in the desert or mountains. However, you will cross through a Border Patrol checkpoint, so we recommend having your passport, permanent resident card, or government issued documents when participating in a Water Drop.
19. Is participating in a water drop legal?
It is legal to leave potentially life saving supplies for migrants out in the desert and mountains. Our team travels through public land and does not leave supplies on private property.
20. Can I join a water drop if I am undocumented?
Immigrants and migrants that have documentation, such as DACA, a green card (legal permanent resident status) or a work permit, can participate in our water drops. We do not recommend those that do not have documentation to volunteer for our water drops; when going to key locations, we must pass through a Border Patrol checkpoint and regularly come across Border Patrol agents. We do not want anyone to be at risk.
21. Where are children held when detained or when separated from their parent(s)/guardian(s)?
Minors that come into the custody of either ICE or CBP, which includes Border Patrol, and are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian OR if they are separated from their parent(s) while in custody for other reasons, will most likely be classified as unaccompanied minors (UAC).
Specific safeguards and protections for families and children that come in contact with immigration enforcement officials were put in place as a result of the Flores Agreement, which was the result of many years of litigation. The agreement states that minors and families cannot be detained in processing or detention centers that are meant for adults for more than 72 hours. Unaccompanied minors must be transferred over to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These agencies have contracts with various shelter providers. In San Diego the main shelter program is Southwest Key Programs.
These organizations work with ORR to reunify the children with their family or sponsors. The current administration has been trying to reduce the protections offered to children and families as regulated by the agreement; for more information on this, see here. There have been many reports of minors being abused while in custody by immigration enforcement and while residing at these ORR funded shelters.
When families are detained by immigration, they can either be released to family members or friends in the US, they can be sent to a family detention center or they can be placed under the Migrant Protection Protocols program (commonly referred to as Remain in Mexico).
22. How can a parent in detention find their child? Do they get any information?
If a minor child is classified as an Unaccompanied Minor, family members have the right to contact the Health and Human Services hotline number at 1-800-203-7001 or via email at [email protected] to find out where they are being detained.
If the child is over 18 years old, they are considered an adult and can be located via the ICE website here.
Keep in mind that many immigrants that are detained by CBP or other law enforcement agencies are transferred or later picked up by ICE. When looking for a loved one it is important to check the ICE locator even if one is unsure who detained them.
25. How can I contact a local representative to voice my concern?
Reaching out to your elected officials is a great way to advocate from the comfort and safety of your home during this pandemic. One can email or call their office to share their personal views, either pro or against, on a certain bill or issue. Contact information for legislators is public and can be obtained on the official’s website and through the respective city, county or state websites. It is important for constituents to express their concerns to elected officials.
To look up your State Senator, Assembly Member, and Congressional Representative, one can look here. San Diego City Council Members can be found here. At times it might be helpful to reach out to the Board of Supervisors, their information can be found here.
26. How can I get involved when not in San Diego?
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that there are many creative and virtual ways to organize and to continue advocating for issues we are passionate about. From the comfort of our home, we can reach out to legislators by phone or email, begin a fundraiser for a specific program or cause, donate money, and spread awareness by sharing articles that are published by reputable media outlets.
Our country is experiencing a lot of turmoil and we are seeing more and more how many social justice issues are connected and how the work is truly intersectional. For example, when we advocate for our sisters and brothers that are seeking asylum and that are detained by ICE, part of the fight involves addressing issues of systemic racism and oppression. A common misconception is that those seeking asylum are only from Latin America or Spanish speakers, but in reality many African and South Asian migrants, as well people from other countries, are currently detained by ICE. One can look up the demographics of people in removal proceedings here.
By sharing the truth about the complexities of immigration and the horrible conditions of detention on social media platforms and by making sure we don’t use dehumanizing language, we can begin to shift the narrative of immigrants and asylum seekers. For example, we do not use the word “illegal” when referring to undocumented immigrants or to describe the way that people arrived to this country.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive information on calls-to-action here.