Important Announcement Regarding the ReUnite Project
Due to systematic withdrawal of federal funding for immigration services, significant policy shifts at the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), and the broader legal and political challenges, VECINA has made the difficult decision to transition the ReUnite Project out of active operations as of May 31st, 2025. As a result, we will be unable to reopen our ReUnite referrals or accept new ReUnite volunteers for the foreseeable future.
While this phase of ReUnite is coming to a close, our commitment to immigrant justice remains strong. VECINA is actively pursuing new funding opportunities with the hope of continuing this critical work in the future—whether in its current form or through a new iteration.
We are deeply grateful to the hundreds of dedicated ReUnite volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters who have made this work possible over the last four years. Thank you for standing with us and with immigrant families.
Breaking Barriers, Reuniting Families, Restoring Hope
At VECINA, we believe every child deserves to be with the people who love and care for them, regardless of their immigration status. Since 2021, VECINA’s ReUnite Project has been dedicated to ensuring that detained unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States are quickly reunited with their loved ones. We have assisted with the reunification needs of over 1,400 children from 31 countries, speaking 29 different languages, and have seen firsthand the profound impact family reunification has on the lives of these vulnerable children and their loved ones.
ReUnite is the only project in the United States dedicated to offering scaled, pro bono legal services specifically for the family members and other loves ones—known as “sponsors”—who are seeking the release of these children. Without ReUnite, many families would have no way of bringing their children home.
Family separation remains a critical issue in the U.S. and, while there is federal funding to support detained unaccompanied children, there is no such funding to support their loved ones in the reunification process. Without community investment, the ReUnite Project is at risk, leaving the loved ones of detained immigrant children with no one to turn to for legal support in the reunification process.
To continue reuniting immigrant families, we need your support.
Your contributions will help us:
- Provide free legal services to the families of detained children.
- Shorten the time children spend in detention facilities.
- Offer culturally appropriate language interpretation services
- Advocate for systemic changes that will improve reunification processes for unaccompanied children.
Please contact ReUnite Project Director Molly Chew at molly@vecina.org with any questions.