Women Authors Donate to Immigration Nonprofit Amid Deportation Reports

Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Mindy Kaling are some of the famous author voices who’ve donated to Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services amid reports the Trump administration plans massive deportations in two weeks.

Authors For Families seemed to have inspired the matching campaign to benefit the 501(c)(3) nonprofit known by its acronym RAICES, which is the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas. Asking for authors to donate services from query critiques to signed books for its next fundraiser in July, Authors For Families, a group of authors and publishing professionals raising money to reunite immigrant children with their parents, plans to raise money to also benefit National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association or CASA, Women’s Refugee Commission, Kids in Need of Defense or KIND, and The Florence Project.

Jodi Picoult, the best-selling author behind A Spark of Light and My Sister’s Keeper, tweeted she and her supporters raised $50,000 for RAICES.

I am stunned by the generosity of my followers, who responded loud and clear when I said I’d match donations yesterday to @RAICESTEXAS. By my count, together, we raised nearly $50k in mere hours. It’s a good reminder of how ordinary folks can effect change when we work together.

— Jodi Picoult (@jodipicoult) June 24, 2019

Celeste, whose two novels Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere became runaway hits, was one of those supporters.

Pssst, the very generous @jodipicoult is matching donations to @RAICESTEXAS over the next 24hr—if you were thinking of donating, now’s a great time. Whatever you can give will go twice as far! https://t.co/7BqnFVMiV2

— Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) June 23, 2019

Circe author Madeline Miller continued matching with her supporters reaching $10,000 with her bump.

WOW. Thanks to your AMAZING donations, you raised $7,842 (!!!!) for @RAICESTEXAS! I’ve donated my match and a bit more to make our total a round 10K! You give me hope. Thank you for donating if you could, for signal boosting, speaking out, calling reps. We can make a difference. pic.twitter.com/dqS4hjHpmZ

— Madeline Miller (@MillerMadeline) June 24, 2019

Mindy, who celebrated her birthday Monday and recently announced an Amazon Publishing follow-up to Why Not Me? and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), asked what causes she should donate to for her 40th birthday. She first donated $10,000 to RAICES.

I’m so grateful to have my wonderful, peaceful life w/ my daughter Katherine. How lucky am I to turn 40? I would love to express my gratitude by donating $1000 to 40 different charitable orgs that help others. Pls suggest some! I will kick it off by giving $1000 to @RAICESTEXAS!

— Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) June 24, 2019

Last summer, RAICES raised $25 million after a photo of a 2-year-old girl at the border in a pink jacket crying up at adults went viral.

If you’re an author, do you have a passion you would use your platform for? Or how would you feel as a reader when your top authors stand on a platform you’re not for?