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Facebook campaign to reunite families torn apart by US immigration policy raises millions

Picture: John Moore / Getty Images
Picture: John Moore / Getty Images

The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on immigration, which has led to parents being separated from their children, has been met with an outpouring of donations to help reunite undocumented families.

More than 100,000 people have donated to the Reunite an immigrant parent with their child campaign on Facebook, helping to raise more than $4 million (£3 million) since it launched on Saturday, 16 June – making it the largest ever single fundraiser on Facebook.

Californian couple Charlotte and Dave Willner set up the campaign after seeing an image of a young child crying at the US-Mexico border.

Picture: (John Moore / Getty Images)
Picture: (John Moore / Getty Images)

"We are collectively revulsed at what's happening to immigrant families on our southern border," the Facebook campaign page states.

"In times when we often think that the news can't possibly get worse, it does – we learned last night that 2,000 children (many of them infants and toddlers) have been separated from their parents in just six weeks under President Trump's 'zero tolerance' policy.

Among the high-profile donors to the campaign are Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company COO Sheryl Sandberg.

The original fundraising target was just $1,500, which would have been used to help reunite the parents with the child in the photo.

All proceeds will go to RAICES, a Texas non-profit that offers legal services to undocumented immigrants and refugees.

"We do not have the words to thank Charlotte and Dave Willner. Thanks is inadequate for the work these funds will make possible. We know it will change lives," RAICES said in a statement on its Facebook page.

"We've been occasionally crying around the office all day when we check the fundraising totals. This is such a profound rejection of the cruel policies of this administration. Take heart."