Al Otro Lado, Inc.

Hello! 

While this fundraiser is listed as organized by "Lauren Leiggi", it is organized by six Temple Law students. Along with fifteen other Temple Law students and one faculty member, we are remotely volunteering this spring break with Al Otro Lado to help asylum seekers on the Mexican/United States border. Al Otro Lado is a powerhouse for immigrant advocacy. 

Now more than ever, groups like AOL need additional support in fulfilling their important mission. While we are already donating our time, we are hoping that by sharing this page we can also raise funds to address the numerous other needs--legal and otherwise--of migrants at the border. 100% of funds will be donated directly to AOL. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me

Student Volunteers last year with Nicole Ramos (Center) Border Rights Project Director. 

What is Al Otro Lado?

Al Otro Lado is a bi-national, direct legal services organization with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, serving indigent deportees, migrants, and refugees, that is deeply engaged in efforts to protect the familial rights of migrants. The not-for-profit organization is also a central player in litigation and other advocacy efforts challenging the systemic human rights violations brought about by governmental policies and practices that infringe upon the right to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico Border. Al Otro Lado’s Tijuana-based Border Rights Project provides legal orientation and know-your-rights training to asylum seekers in Tijuana who wish to present themselves to U.S. authorities to seek asylum, while also conducting human rights monitoring at the San Ysidro port-of-entry.

What will we be doing? 

Al Otro Lado is a small group of attorneys and advocates that rely on volunteers to help provide legal and medical assistance to those near the USA/Mexico border.  We will be volunteering remotely to support legal services for migrants at the border.

Particularly, we will be helping individuals who have been waiting in Mexico to seek asylum because of the Trump Administration's Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), better known as the “Remain in Mexico" policy. This policy has trapped tens of thousands of vulnerable migrants across the border – making it nearly impossible for them to exercise their legal rights. The Biden Administration ended any new enrollments in MPP and has implemented a phased approach to reintegrate those in MPP into the U.S. to await the decisions of their asylum claims safely. Currently, there are an estimated 28,000 people subject to MPP who still have pending asylum cases in U.S. immigration courts. To aid this phased reentry, the UNHCR has created an online platform that enables migrants subject to MPP to register for an appointment to be processed at the border. Those registering for appointments have to fill out a questionnaire, which has been created to sort out the most vulnerable (e.g., those in poor health) for priority entry into the United States.

We will be assessing these migrants still impacted by MPP to determine their priority for the phased approach and complete their registration with the UNHCR. We will also aid other asylum seekers to complete an I-589 application and increase their chances of obtaining asylum. We will work in pairs with one Spanish speaker to conduct our work. 

We will be sure to share the updates of our work! 

Thank you!

Lauren, Erin, Daniela, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mana.

In 26 days, I turn 26 years old! I can’t believe that a year ago I was traveling in Colombia, making my way to Cali to learn salsa dancing -- and now I am sitting at home in Oakland, reconnecting with old friends and exploring ways to grow my community. It has been a year of goodbye to new friends, hello to old friends, growth, reflection, new beginnings, returning to familiar places, trying new things, joy, and challenges. 

To close out the year and make way for the next, I wanted to reflect on the year, who I am, what I want to focus on in the coming year – and on the qualities and the type of person I want to be. This coming year, I want to:

-Practice being more vulnerable;
-Explore my concepts and practice of interdependence;
-Practice being more vocal about how I feel and what I think;
-Explore what it means to personally support reparations and/or operate from a framework of reparations; 
-Develop new skills;
-Intentionally cultivate joy; and 
-Take action on issues that align with my values 

For these reasons and many more, I am excited to launch a fundraiser to raise $2,600 in 26 days for Al Otro Lado – a bi-national non-profit in Tijuana supporting indigent deportees, migrants and refugees. The long and short of it is that I hope you will join me in supporting this important work happening at the border — DONATE TODAY! 

If you want to learn more about why I am moved to host this fundraiser and its connection to reflections on my past year, I invite you to continue reading this post and the ones that will follow in the coming few weeks. 

The theme of vulnerability connects to why I chose to support organizing efforts happening at the border to support migrants and asylum seekers. 

        vulnerability (n): capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; open to
        moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc., open to attack or damage
 
When I think about the migrants at or moving towards the southern U.S. border who have left their homes and traveled long distances -- usually by foot with few resources, I think about the enormous amount of vulnerability it took and continually requires to partake on a journey like that. Most people don’t leave their homes, a place of familiarity and community easily -- especially when what they are going to is unknown and the path to that place is unknown—it requires a lot of vulnerability (along with strength, courage & faith) in order to decide to leave their place of home, their community, their country, their home language. I can’t even comprehend what that would feel like — leaving all you know for the hope of something better, but really not knowing what will happen or what you and your loved ones will be subjected to in the process. I am inspired by those who are in search for a better life amongst so many unknowns. There is so much to learn from their journey about the power and courage in vulnerability –- the willingness to experience the unknown and pain for the possibility of experiencing deep joy, love and growth. 

Reading stories of people migrating to the United States I feel moved to do two things: 1. reflect on what role vulnerability plays in my life and 2. take action.

To be clear in making space and sharing my reflections, I am not trying to equate their actions or the level of harm or challenges they are experiencing with any act of vulnerability that I actively choose to engage with.

With that in mind, for me launching this fundraising campaign is an act of practicing vulnerability:
 
1.    As some of you know, I strive for perfectionism in many aspects of my life; before setting out to do something, I want to feel very confident that I will succeed and that I will do it “right.” When deciding to do a fundraising campaign, my inner voice is cautioning me around not to set the goal too high, make sure I pick the “perfect” organization to donate to, make sure to frame my pitch in just the right way, choose the right fundraising platform, share the idea with a few people first to see how they react…etc. So by deciding to carry this out and not listen too heavily to those voices and be scared off by the possibility of imperfection/failure, I am leaning into my vulnerability. 

2.    The act of me setting out on a project that includes me sharing publicly with my Facebook community a set of posts that includes my thoughts, beliefs, and feelings is challenging and pushing me into the uncomfortable — as I can’t control who/how people will respond. Some people might not agree with how I phrase something, who I chose to fundraise for or my commitment to supporting migrants coming to the United States—and I don’t expect everyone to…

I am writing to invite you to join me in supporting migrants in their journey to find a new home—a new home that doesn’t force them to constantly live in this extreme state of vulnerability but holds them in community, in empathy, in love --by making a donation that is meaningful to you. DONATE NOW.
 
Today is Day 1 of 26 to raise $2,600 leading up to my 26th birthday. If we reach my goal of raising $2,600, I pledge to become a monthly donor to Al Otro Lado for at least the next year. 

Will you join me in my efforts to celebrate my 26thbirthday? Sure? Hell yes? Donate now. 

Thank you for taking the time to read--if you feel moved by this cause and want to help me reach my goal I invite you to share this campaign with your community. 

With love and appreciation, 
Morgan 

P.S.--In future posts I will be writing more about the work of Al Otro Lado and much more--stay tuned and donate today :)

For my birthday this year, I am fundraising for a politically urgent cause – legal representation for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in California. Al Otro Lado is a nonprofit that provides cross-border legal services for refugees, deportees, and families separated by deportation in Los Angeles and Tijuana. 

Every donation helps Al Otro Lado hire more attorneys to fight the administration’s war on asylum seekers. 

My goal is to raise $3000 by the end of June. All funds go directly from GoFundMe to Al Otro Lado.