Helping asylum seekers

The UTRGV Brownsville Philosophy Club will host a donation drive for asylum-seekers living on the Mexican side of the Gateway International Bridge.

“Due to the changes in immigration policy, there are several hundred asylum-seekers living in tents on the Matamoros side of the Gateway Bridge in Brownsville,” according to a UTRGV Department of Philosophy Facebook post dated Oct. 17. “Many families who are stuck waiting for their asylum hearings in Matamoros, due to MPP policy, have no connection to Mexico and have been relying upon donations as a means to survive.”

Alejandra Valdes, the club president and mass communication junior, said the reason for the donation drive was because of Bradley Warfield, a philosophy lecturer.

“A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Warfield, who stood in on the philosophy club meeting, told us that he and his wife had been volunteering at the border,” Valdes said. “I guess it’s safe to say that as a philosophy club, since we talk about ethics and morality … it wasn’t too much for us to hesitate when it came to helping.”

Warfield said they rely on the generosity of the UTRGV community to provide donations.

“Asylum seekers, they need, you know, basic necessities, food and books,” Warfield said. “So, there’s been some wonderful humanitarian organizations, like Team Brownsville and Angry Tias and Abuelas, that have been providing immense help and incredible support from them. So, we wanted to help out to provide donations.”

Donation boxes on the Brownsville campus are located at the University Library, Main building 1.400 and 1.4143, and on the third floor of the Music, Science & Learning Center. There is only one box on the Edinburg campus.

“I know we have one box in the Liberal Arts Building South on the Edinburg campus amongst the Philosophy offices there,” Warfield said. “So, I think we’re going to have more donation box locations on the Edinburg campus.”

The club is seeking personal hygiene items. Other items include school supplies, K-12 Spanish books, Spanish and English dictionaries, notebooks, pens and pencils.

There is no specific deadline for the donation, according to Warfield.

“The asylum-seekers are, just, many of them have been running for their lives,” Warfield said. “They’re refugees much more than immigrants. It’s imperative, I think, that we try and help people in desperate circumstances when we can, when we are able to and think about how we would want to be treated if we were in their position.”

For more information, call 882-3838.

Para la versión en español de este artículo, oprima aquí.