Nikki Myers
Al Otro Lado
Tijuana, MX/San Diego, USA
Within the first two weeks of my internship at Al Otro Lado, I met a variety of people working from different locations with different areas of expertise that all are useful when dealing with the maze of American and Mexican immigration law. I attended trainings on various topics such as trauma-informed approaches to migrant justice, a crash course on asylum law, and some tips on translation and interpretation techniques. This past week, I’ve begun working within this large web of volunteers and attorneys to prepare case folders and contact clients who are currently at the Tijuana/San Diego border.
Due to the nature of Al Otro Lado’s work in combatting oppressive immigration policies, many details of my work must remain confidential. However, once a week, AOL holds an online meeting for us to debrief about anything and everything– mental health, success stories, difficult cases, etc. in a vacuum where confidentiality is maintained within the organization. This work is emotionally taxing, and I appreciate how the supervisors at AOL consistently encourage us to practice self-care.
In my experience with various other NGOs, there is a crucial need to restructure NGO leadership so that the mental health of both service users and volunteers are placed alongside in importance with the mission of the organization. AOL has clearly prioritized this, which is helpful in preventing burnout and keeping volunteers on the team for more time.
While I’m still learning the ropes of the various processes AOL offers in the name of migrant justice, having open communication lines with supervisors and other volunteers has made the work easier to adjust to, and I’m looking forward to learning more as the summer continues.
I also recognize that migrant justice work changes along with legislation, and the Supreme Court ruled a few days ago that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers have the right to search all homes within 100 miles of the border without a warrant. This affects most major U.S. cities, including New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago, which all have significant immigrant populations. I’m curious (and a bit nervous) to see how this law affects the work at AOL.
