Parents and children who were forcibly separated by the U.S. government at the U.S.-Mexico border between January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021, can apply to return to the United States and reunify.

Thousands of families were separated under the zero-tolerance policy. Nothing can ever take away the pain these separations caused, but families now have a chance to apply to return to the United States, reunify, and receive support.

Please do not pay anyone money to help you with this process, or travel to the U.S. border, the process is virtual.

This process is free.

If you are:

• A parent or legal guardian who was separated from your child, who was under the age of 18, by the U.S. government at the U.S.-Mexico border between January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021 OR
• A child who was under the age of 18 at the time of separation, and was separated from a parent or legal guardian by the U.S. government at the U.S.-Mexico border between January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021.

Then please call the Help Desk at KIND for more information and assistance.

KIND will inform separated parents about the process for reunification in the United States that the Family Reunification Task Force has created, orient separated parents and families to the process,  answer questions parents and families may have about the process, and assist separated parents or children with registration through the government’s reunification website:

In English: https://www.together.gov

En Español: https://www.juntos.gov/es

This effort includes:

• Reaching out directly to eligible separated parents using existing contact information;
• Providing information and answering questions about the process, eligibility, and other issues that relate to reunification;
• Registering separated parents or children who are seeking reunification;
• Conducting on‐the‐ground searches through KIND’s partner Justice in Motion for parents whom KIND is unable to reach, and offering them in-person mobile registration assistance.

KIND is staffing and managing a toll‐free telephonic Help Desk to provide information and referrals to separated parents and family members with questions and/or who need assistance with registering for reunification. This includes:

• Help Desk assistance: KIND’s free Help Desk is designed to serve separated parents outside the United States who are seeking additional information about reunification, or who need help to better understand their rights, in order to decide whether to proceed with registration.
• Case Support: Individuals facing challenges in the family reunification process, such as concerns about how to obtain documents needed for a passport, will receive real‐time information and referrals to help move forward with their reunification cases.
• Protection for Vulnerable Individuals: KIND will identify and swiftly refer to UNHCR individuals who are facing acute threats to their physical safety and need protection services (including safe shelter) while they await final arrangements for onward travel to the United States for reunification.

The Help Desk can provide general legal information but is not funded to provide direct legal representation. Through a separate project with separate sources of funding, KIND will provide legal assistance and case management referrals to separated parents with complex cases, including:

• Addressing Complex Cases: The Help Desk will make referrals to KIND attorneys who can file applications for humanitarian parole on behalf of parents requiring legal assistance with complex cases that require more help to advance from registration to reunification.
• Challenging Denials: For its own direct representation caseload, or upon referral of a new case, KIND attorneys will file appeals on behalf of parents with bona fide reunification claims previously rejected by the U.S. government.
• Case Management: The Help Desk will connect returning families to comprehensive social services case management services through a partner organization. Families represented by KIND will receive assistance with applications for work authorization once they are reunified in the United States.

KIND is working with UNHCR and KIND’s partner Justice in Motion to contact separated parents in Central America, Mexico, and Brazil to inform them of the potential for reunification through the Family Reunification Task Force process and help them register for reunification in the United States.

The Help Desk was made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and to its implementing partner KIND, and in coordination with the interagency Family Reunification Task Force.

The Help Desk provides referrals but does not provide direct legal assistance. Legal assistance provided by KIND is supported through separate sources of funding.