Jenny Sevilla, Austin Border Relief Volunteers

How to Support Asylum Seekers from Home or at the Border

Immigration and the asylum process can be complicated, but our humanity and compassion do not have to be. In this talk you will learn the current conditions for asylum seekers, receive an overview of immigration and asylum policy that is ever-changing. You will also learn how to get involved from wherever you may live or how to travel to the border to help effectively. You will get a firsthand look at the humanitarian, legal and medical volunteer organizations providing life-saving assistance for asylum seekers. We can all do better with our awareness and our actions to create a humane path for those who are fleeing persecution, violence and the effects of climate change.

About our speaker:

Hello, I am Jenny Sevilla, the director of Austin Border Relief.  I am originally from Mexico City and then grew up in McAllen, Texas on the South Texas Border. I work in the dental field, have 3 fun dogs and am also a violinist. I am now also a student at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio to focus on public health. I visit my family in Mexico as often as possible. I enjoy making volunteer opportunities available for volunteers to access to assist asylum seekers at the border. As difficult as these situations are, I find that the best way to move forward is to get to know the organizations on the ground and find out where they need help. Effective support comes from being knowledgeable and responding with relevant assistance. I believe that migration and asylum are human rights and that we can help shape a much more compassionate system that welcomes those who seek safety, opportunity and life.