When Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued new guidelines earlier this month to address the needs of detained immigrant mothers who are nursing, the agency failed to inform at least one of its contract facilities of the change. As a result, a nursing Brazilian mother was detained in North Carolina for four days before immigration officials released her and informed the jail of the new policy.

As we gather with our families to celebrate the holidays this season, let's remember those families who have been separated due to detention or deportation. Here are 7 things you can do to help an immigrant family in need.

The Los Angeles Times yesterday reported some staggering statistics about the explosion of the U.S. immigrant detention system in the last 12 months.