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Author: Gian

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Guides
Gian

How to Build a Citywide Immigration Information Hub

Overview

Some cities have created centralized online platforms that provide immigration-related information and resources for residents. These hubs often include legal resources, community services, and guidance for families. By organizing information in one place, cities make it easier for residents to access reliable support.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Creating centralized websites
    Cities develop online portals where residents can access information about legal services and community resources.
  • Providing multilingual information
    Resources are often translated into multiple languages to ensure accessibility.
  • Partnering with legal service providers
    Cities collaborate with nonprofit legal organizations to provide referrals and guidance.
  • Sharing community support programs
    Information hubs often include details about financial assistance, healthcare resources, and educational support.

Examples from Other Cities

San Francisco, CA
The city launched the SF Immigrant Forum to connect residents with legal and social service resources.

Why This Matters

Centralized information hubs help residents quickly access accurate information and support during times of uncertainty.

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Benefits Updates
Gian

Legal Defense Funding for Immigrant Communities: What Cities Are Doing

Overview

Several cities and states have created legal defense funds to help immigrants access legal representation in immigration proceedings. These programs aim to ensure individuals have access to legal counsel and fair hearings.

Key Approaches Cities Are Using

  • Municipal legal defense funds
    Cities allocate funding to support immigration legal services.
  • Partnerships with legal nonprofits
    Municipal funding often supports nonprofit organizations that provide representation.
  • Community legal clinics
    Some programs offer free consultations and legal advice.
  • State and regional initiatives
    States and counties may collaborate to expand legal defense programs.

Why This Matters

Access to legal representation can significantly affect outcomes in immigration cases, making legal defense programs an important resource for immigrant communities.

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Benefits Updates, Policy & Legal Alerts
Gian

Emergency Financial Assistance Programs for Immigrant Communities

Overview

Some cities and nonprofit partners have created emergency assistance programs to support immigrant families experiencing financial hardship related to immigration enforcement.

These programs may provide short-term financial relief, housing assistance, or other essential support.

Key Types of Support

  • Emergency grants
    Cities or nonprofit partners provide direct financial assistance to families in crisis.
  • Community relief funds
    Local foundations and advocacy groups establish funds to support affected households.
  • Housing and food assistance
    Programs may connect families with housing or food resources during emergencies.
  • Community partnerships
    Cities often work with nonprofit organizations to distribute funds and provide support services.

Why This Matters

Emergency assistance programs help stabilize families and ensure communities have access to essential resources during periods of uncertainty.

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Tools
Gian

Signage Templates for Restricting Immigration Enforcement Access

Overview

Some municipalities provide signage templates that clarify access rules within government buildings.

These signs help communicate that certain areas are restricted and that entry may require a judicial warrant.

Key Uses for Signage

  • Designating non-public areas
    Signs can mark restricted offices and administrative areas.
  • Communicating access requirements
    Notices may indicate that a judicial warrant is required for entry.
  • Supporting staff protocols
    Signage reinforces internal policies regarding access to government facilities.
  • Standardizing communication across buildings
    Templates ensure consistent messaging throughout city facilities.

Why This Matters

Clear signage helps enforce access policies and provides staff with visible support for implementing local procedures.

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Tools
Gian

Bystander Safety and Response Guidelines During Enforcement Activity

Overview

Cities and advocacy organizations often provide guidance for community members who witness immigration enforcement activity.

These guidelines emphasize safety, documentation, and awareness of legal rights.

Key Guidance

  • Prioritizing personal safety
    Bystanders are encouraged to observe from a safe distance.
  • Understanding legal rights
    Guidelines explain what bystanders can and cannot do when documenting enforcement activity.
  • Avoiding interference
    Community members are advised not to obstruct enforcement operations.
  • Sharing verified information
    Reports should be shared through trusted organizations or official channels.

Why This Matters

Clear guidelines help residents respond responsibly while protecting their own safety.

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Tools
Gian

Family Preparedness Resources for Schools and Communities

Overview

Family preparedness resources help families plan for emergencies, including situations where a family member may be detained or unavailable.

Cities and community organizations provide guidance to help families develop contingency plans.

Key Resources Cities Are Sharing

  • Emergency contact planning tools
    Families can identify trusted caregivers for children.
  • Legal preparedness guidance
    Information about powers of attorney and guardianship arrangements.
  • School coordination resources
    Schools may provide guidance to help families plan for unexpected disruptions.
  • Community support referrals
    Local organizations offer legal and social support services.

Why This Matters

Preparedness resources help families reduce uncertainty and ensure children have support if disruptions occur.

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Tools
Gian

Know Your Rights Campaign Materials for Cities and Communities

Overview

Many cities distribute “Know Your Rights” materials to help residents understand their legal protections during immigration enforcement encounters.

These campaigns often include multilingual flyers, posters, and public education materials.

Key Resources Cities Are Using

  • Educational flyers and posters
    Materials explain basic rights during interactions with immigration agents.
  • Multilingual resources
    Cities translate materials to ensure accessibility for diverse communities.
  • Public transit and community distribution
    Campaigns often place materials in transit systems, schools, and community centers.
  • Digital resources
    Online materials allow residents to access information quickly.

Why This Matters

Public education campaigns help ensure residents understand their rights and can make informed decisions during enforcement encounters.

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Guides
Gian

How Cities Can Prepare for Federal Enforcement Through Policy and Planning

Overview

Some cities proactively develop policies and planning strategies to prepare for potential immigration enforcement activity. These efforts help municipalities respond effectively while supporting affected residents.

Planning often involves legal analysis, staff training, and coordination with community partners.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Reviewing existing policies
    Cities examine local laws and administrative policies related to immigration enforcement.
  • Developing response protocols
    Municipal leaders establish procedures for responding to enforcement activity.
  • Engaging community partners
    Local nonprofits and advocacy groups provide input and support services.
  • Preparing communication strategies
    Cities develop messaging plans to inform residents if enforcement occurs.

Why This Matters

Proactive planning helps cities respond calmly and effectively while minimizing disruption to communities.

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Guides
Gian

How to Document and Report Federal Enforcement Activity

Overview

Local governments may track immigration enforcement activity within their jurisdictions to understand its impact on communities.

Documentation helps cities monitor trends, respond to community concerns, and inform policy decisions.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Creating reporting channels
    Cities establish systems where residents and organizations can report enforcement activity.
  • Tracking enforcement patterns
    Collected data helps local governments understand where and how enforcement actions occur.
  • Working with community partners
    Community organizations often help verify reports and provide additional information.
  • Using data for policy development
    Documentation can inform future policy responses or public statements.

Why This Matters

Tracking enforcement activity helps cities better understand their local impact and respond appropriately.

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Guides
Gian

How Cities Can Communicate with the Public During Enforcement Activity

Overview

Clear communication from city officials is critical when immigration enforcement activity occurs in a community. Accurate information can reduce confusion and prevent misinformation.

Cities are developing communication strategies that ensure residents receive timely and reliable updates.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Using official communication channels
    Cities provide updates through websites, social media, and public statements.
  • Coordinating messaging across departments
    Communications teams work with city leadership and legal staff to ensure consistent messaging.
  • Providing multilingual information
    Messages are often translated to reach diverse communities.
  • Partnering with community groups
    Nonprofits help distribute information and reach residents who may not follow government communications.

Why This Matters

Effective communication helps maintain public trust and ensures residents receive accurate information during enforcement activity.

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PUBLISHED BY THE DAY Oct 29, 2025

AG Tong, talking immigration in New London: 'They will make it if we fight for them'

 
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Attorney General William Tong speaks at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation in New London on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The event by Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services focused on the impact of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. (Alison Cross/The Day)

By Alison Cross
Day Staff Writer
 
New London — State Attorney General William Tong visited the city Monday evening to share a message of hope and resistance amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The event at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation was organized by Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, the New Haven-based nonprofit known as IRIS.
Since 1982, IRIS has welcomed and resettled thousands of refugees and immigrants within the state, but Maggie Mitchell Salem, the organization’s executive director, said new federal policies have upended longstanding pathways to legal immigration.
As a result of these changes, Mitchell Salem said IRIS will not participate in the U.S. government-supported refugee admissions program for the first time in the nonprofit’s history, starting on Jan. 1. Mitchell Salem said IRIS will continue to resettle refugees from Afghanistan and other countries without federal funding.
During his speech, Tong described the Trump administration’s policies and actions over the last nine months as “awful, brutal, (and) painful.” Tong spoke about lawsuits he has filed against the federal government to block the Trump administration from ending birthright citizenship and coercing states into following the administration’s immigration agenda.
Tong said people often put refugees and immigrants into separate categories but “very often they’re one and the same.”
“My grandparents and my dad ran for their lives (from China),” Tong said. “I’m a kid that comes from refugees and immigrants. I grew up in a Chinese restaurant. … If you go to a takeout joint around here and you see a high schooler ring up your Tuesday night takeout, that was me.”
“In one generation, I went from that hot Chinese restaurant kitchen in the state of Connecticut in Wethersfield, to being the 25th attorney general of the state,” Tong continued. “I don’t tell you that story because it’s a good story, I tell you that story because it is an unremarkable story. It is a story shared by so many people. And there are kids right now, our kids in this city, the sons and daughters and grandchildren of refugees and immigrants who are just like us … and I know they will make it if we fight for them right now.”
Maryam Elahi, the president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, said that right now, children are not getting an education because “so many parents are terrified to take their kids to school (and) pick them up.”
“This is not acceptable,” Elahi said.
Elahi encouraged people to reframe the way they speak about immigrants.
“Unless you’re a Native American, you’re an immigrant in this country,” she said. “Some of us came earlier on boats. Some of us came later by foot or plane or both, but the end result is the same. It’s really important for all of us to change the narrative, to talk about immigrants as all of us, to talk about immigrants as people who bring so much richness to our community and to put our arms around them.”
Jeanne Milstein, the human services director for the city, said that New London’s history is rooted in immigrant communities who have made the city stronger.
“It is our diversity which is our strength. New London is a seaport town. It has always been a rich mix of people. It is a community where everyone is welcome,” Milstein said. “The feds may be trying to kill the American dream, but here in New London, it is alive and well.”

PUBLISHED BY THE HARTFORD COURANT

After four decades, CT organization won’t resettle refugees this year. Here’s why

For the first time in more than four decades Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services made the decision to not resettle refugees through the United States Refugee Admissions program, due to the Trump administration’s intent to shift the program’s focus.
“We will not resettle populations that aren’t refugees,” said Maggie Mitchell Salem, director of IRIS. “That is basically the point. This is not about Afrikaners or right wing groups in Europe. This is not about ideology or politics. This is about our mission. Our mission is to resettle the world’s most vulnerable people who have been screened for the credible fear they possess which keeps them from going home.”
Mitchell Salem added: “We are not a relocation service. We work with and for a very specific population and as part of the humanitarian pathway within this immigration system.”
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the Trump administration “is considering a radical overhaul of the U.S. refugee system that would slash the program to its bare bones while giving preference to English speakers, white South Africans and Europeans who oppose migration.” 
The Trump administration has said that white South African farmers face discrimination and violence at home, which the country’s government strongly denies.
The IRIS board made the decision last month to change course after learning about the Trump’s administration’s plans to change the refugee program, including limiting the number of refugees to 30,000 to 40,000, Mitchell Salem said.
“That only reinforced that decision,” Mitchell said. “We have never had to question the U.S. government’s decision. This is not about who is in charge of our government. We have supported refugee resettlement in Republican administrations, and Democratic administrations without fail. We had to do some critical thinking about whether based on what we understood to be the administration’s policy on the U.S. refugee program, whether there was an alignment between our mission and how they were implementing the program.”
The Church World Service, which IRIS is an affiliate of, and contracts with the State Department to help refugees “expressed its dismay and deep concern in response to the Trump administration’s plans to reduce the refugee admissions’ goal “to the lowest level in history,” according to a press release from the agency.
New numbers reported from the Associated Press suggest the Trump administration is considering admitting far fewer refugees than IRIS had initially learned, with just 7,500 admitted.
Dana Bucin, an immigration attorney and partner with Harris Beach Murtha in Hartford, said the administration’s ban against refugees at the beginning of 2025 is not advisable.
“The entire policy that is against refugees in particular is harmful at a time when the world is seeing a record number of refugees due to wars, civil wars, famine, climate change and a bunch of other factors,” she said. “We have never had so many refugees as we do now and so few tools to deal with them and so definitely in general an anti-refugee policy is not conducive to humanitarian endeavors.”
Bucin said she does not believe that all Afrikaners qualify as a group for refugee status.
“But as attorneys we are open to hearing of any individualized case of persecution for Afrikaners, much like anyone else,” she said.
Since the Trump administration suspended the refugee program in January, IRIS relocated its New Haven office and had to shut its Hartford office.
In fiscal year 2024, IRIS served more than 2,000 people and resettled 900 refugees.
In fiscal year 2025 they were planning to resettle 800 refugees but have only been able to settle 241 refugees as many were denied entry or delayed.
As a result of the suspension of the refugee program, IRIS lost about $4 million in funding and had to lay off employees.
In the United States, some 128,000 refugees have currently been approved for resettlement in the United States and are now stuck in limbo, said Mark Hetfield, president of HIAS, the Jewish refugee resettlement agency. In addition, 14,000 Jews, Christians and other religious minorities in Iran have long been registered with the refugee program.
New vision
IRIS is not suspending its activities though. The organization is realigning its focus to help refugees and immigrants with assistance securing housing, food, addressing health issues and advocating for more English Language Learning programs to help them succeed in the workforce, Mitchell Salem said.
Mitchell Salem said she is concerned about provisions in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill particularly eliminating SNAP for refugees. She said IRIS needs more support to provide basic proteins for refugees in its food pantry.
Targeting ELL programs aligned to workforce development programs is critical, she said, so “people are getting the right vocational training and entering these programs successfully and entering higher paying jobs in the healthcare, hospitality and manufacturing sector. This is a win for the state. The state has to become more competitive.”
Mitchell Salem said IRIS will focus on deepening partnerships with the Chambers of Commerce and workforce boards and adult literacy organizations that exist in every town and city in the state.
In addition to those being barred from entering the country, Mitchell Salem said immigrants who are here are being terrorized. Calling it inhumane, Mitchell Salem said rounding up of people in the community at their place of employment is having an impact on everyone.
“It is going to impact the price of food and whether your grandmother is being taken care of in an assisted living community,” she said. “It is impacting employers. It is impacting tax bases. You don’t remove this significant number of people from our community and have no impact.”
With ICE arrests continuing in Connecticut and immigrant advocates calling for state officials to act, lawmakers are in discussions about increasing legal protections during an upcoming special session.
ICE agents stormed a Hamden car wash Wednesday and detained and took away eight people including a husband and wife and a customer, according to information from state Sen. Jorge Cabrera’s office.
“Since we passed the TRUST Act a decade ago, Connecticut has always carved out exceptions for dangerous felons,” Cabrera said in a statement. ”Democrats don’t have a problem with that. Neither does the governor. What we do have a problem with is Donald Trump and ICE telling us that they are arresting the scum of the Earth – murderers and gang members and pedophiles. And then who do they arrest? Landscapers. Dishwashers. High school kids. People working at car washes.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Originally Published: 

October 17, 2025 at 5:37 AM ED