Michael Seifert shares his impressions of child migration and actors’ responses at the southern US border with MIGPROSP PhD researcher Michaela Bruckmayer. The region experiences some of the highest number of border crossings by children migrating without a parent or legal guardian from Mexico and the Northern Triangle Central American countries — Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — into the United States. As a resident of the area for almost 30 years and the Network Weaver for the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network, Michael has witnessed and engaged in the evolvement of US border policies and their impacts on individuals and communities.

The work of the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network began in 2007 with inspiration from the Marguerite Casey Foundation. Its aim is to create a movement focused on enhancing the capacity of disenfranchised and marginalised groups to engage and be heard in the policy-making process. The network connects about eight organisations focused on assisting low-income families and otherwise unrepresented groups who come together to form six different working groups on issues including education, health, employment, housing, immigration, LGBTQ.