As immigration enforcement from the Trump administration has increased across the country, St. Louisans have found ways to help immigrant families fearing detainment and deportation.

Much of that work relies on grassroots groups and other organizations that are supporting each other and recruiting volunteers.

Aid through care packages

It’s Erika Murray’s first time volunteering at a Kirkwood church auditorium on a Sunday afternoon in May, where she and others are packing boxes of food for immigrant families across the St. Louis area.

Many of these families rely on these packages because they’ve lost their primary breadwinner, either through deportation or detainment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“I think the most Christian thing you can do is end suffering, and these families are suffering right now,” Murray said.

The sentiment is shared by about a hundred volunteers who are at the church to assist Abide in Love St. Louis. It's one of several St. Louis immigration advocacy groups that have mobilized over the past year, recruiting volunteers.

Charlotte Dahlby is packing fruits, vegetables and other foods in a box that will be delivered to 43 families and 200 individuals.

The 14-year-old remembers how hard it was for her father, who immigrated from Norway, to become an American citizen.

“Imagine if English wasn’t your first language and how hard it is to be discriminated against,” Dahlby said. “It’s just so unfair and unjust.”