Unified Coordination Group Statement on Donations for UAC

At the direction of President Barack Obama and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate is leading the Unified Coordination Group responsible for addressing the needs of an influx of unaccompanied children creating a humanitarian challenge along the southwest U.S. border. As the lead coordinating agency, FEMA is leveraging the capabilities of the federal government to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who have the lead roles in addressing the immediate needs of unaccompanied children.

In response to this humanitarian effort, members of the public have expressed interest in donating to help unaccompanied children that recently have entered the United States from Central America.  The federal agencies supporting these facilities are unable to accept donations or volunteers to assist the unaccompanied children program.

Several refugee resettlement non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the U.S. are accepting monetary donations and, in some cases, experienced volunteers to assist incoming refugee families, although not specifically unaccompanied children, in support of the effort of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program at the State Department.  Information, by state, for refugee resettlement NGOs can be found at the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center (RPC) webpage or the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) webpage.