Detention puts people’s lives and wellbeing on the line. Help us ensure no one is left without support. Donate today!

Supporting the well-being of migrants detained in the United States

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Mission & Vision
Funding programs and services that support people’s wellbeing during and after detention.
Our Impact
See what we’ve done starting as “Books for Migrants” and learn more about our future plans.
Request Funds
Submit your request and learn how receiving library materials can make a  difference.
Support our Work
Donate to our Donorbox campaign to help us expand our programs and reach.
$3K+

funds distributed

93

detained migrants served

22

detention centers

16

states reached

Our partners get people out of detention.

We help them get through it.

Our Approach

Migrant Support Collective takes a dual approach to solving the issues that detained migrants face, through a combination of direct services and advocacy.

Direct Services

  • Address detained migrants’ immediate, material needs, building trust and reciprocity that encourages participants to engage in advocacy efforts with us as a team.
  • Serve as our first point of contact with detained migrants, functioning as a pipeline for our advocacy work.

Advocacy Programs

  • Through cross-movement solidarity and intersectional analysis, address the systemic issues that lead to the need for direct services in the first place.
  • Work towards long-term, systems-level change, building a future rooted in collective liberation and community-based systems of care.

Coming Soon...

In addition to our library program, we’re working to offer more programs and services to meet the needs of detained migrants with dignity, connection, and care.

The LGBTQ+ Migrant Mental Health Initiative

MSC will provide educational materials on coping skills and a journal set.

Advocacy Work: Data Transparency

Our advocacy work will amplify the stories of LGBTQ+ people in detention.

Pen Pal Program

MSC will match detained migrants with volunteer pen pals.

Art as Advocacy Project

MSC will provide art supplies to support creative expression and advocacy.

“Books connect us. For the past 3 years as a hotline volunteer with Freedom For Immigrants, I have built strong connections and friendships with immigrants locked in ICE detention centers. One of the ways I have done this is by sending books, which Migrant Support Collective has made possible. When people feel so disconnected and robbed of identity and community, starting up informal book clubs is literally live-saving. I’m so grateful to the work of Migrant Support Collective and the persistent work they do to connect immigrants with books and with a community of readers, both inside and out."

Jude Everett Canales, MSC Funding Recipient

What Drives Us

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Self-determination
Illustration of holding hands representing community care
Community Care
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Collective Liberation
Illustration of women holding booksSelf-determination
Illustration of women holding booksCollective liberation

Our Community Partners

The Collective Impact

support the collective

As a completely volunteer-run mutual aid fund, we depend on your donations to keep us going. We invite you to be part of creating a world where migrants live free from the injustices of detention.

Donate