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IRIS

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
IRIS

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
IRIS

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
IRIS

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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Guides
IRIS

How Local Governments Can Work with Law Enforcement During Federal Activity

Overview

Local governments often establish policies that define how municipal law enforcement agencies interact with federal immigration authorities.

These policies help clarify responsibilities while ensuring that local police departments remain focused on public safety priorities.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Defining cooperation policies
    Cities may adopt policies limiting when local law enforcement can assist with federal immigration enforcement.
  • Separating local policing from immigration enforcement
    Some jurisdictions emphasize that local officers should not perform civil immigration enforcement duties.
  • Providing guidance to officers
    Police departments receive training on how to respond when federal agents request assistance.
  • Maintaining community trust
    Policies often prioritize maintaining trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.

Why This Matters

Clear policies help ensure that public safety services remain accessible to all residents and prevent confusion about the role of local police in immigration enforcement.

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Guides
IRIS

How Local Governments Can Coordinate Across Agencies During Enforcement Activity

Overview

Immigration enforcement activity can affect multiple municipal departments, including public safety, communications, and social services. Coordination between agencies helps ensure cities respond effectively.

Establishing communication channels and shared protocols allows local governments to respond quickly when enforcement activity occurs.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Creating response coordination teams
    Cities often establish working groups that include representatives from multiple departments.
  • Developing shared response protocols
    Departments agree on procedures for reporting enforcement activity and coordinating communication.
  • Working with legal counsel
    City legal teams help ensure responses align with local policies and legal obligations.
  • Partnering with community organizations
    Local nonprofits can help provide support services and information for affected residents.

Why This Matters

Coordinated responses help local governments manage enforcement activity while maintaining consistent messaging and support services for residents.

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Guides
IRIS

How to Train City Staff to Respond to Immigration Enforcement

Overview

City employees are often the first people to encounter federal agents at government buildings. Training programs help staff understand their responsibilities and provide guidance on how to respond appropriately.

Prepared employees can help ensure that city policies are followed and that interactions with federal agents remain consistent and lawful.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Providing clear protocols
    Cities develop written guidance explaining what staff should do if federal agents arrive.
  • Identifying points of contact
    Employees are instructed to notify designated supervisors or legal staff when enforcement agents request access.
  • Educating employees about warrants
    Training often includes guidance on recognizing valid judicial warrants versus administrative documents.
  • Conducting scenario-based training
    Some cities conduct simulations to help staff practice responding to enforcement situations.

Why This Matters

Staff training reduces confusion, ensures consistent responses, and helps local governments enforce their policies regarding federal immigration activity.

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Guides
IRIS

How to Define and Protect Non-Public Areas in Government Buildings

Overview

Many cities have adopted policies that distinguish between public and non-public areas inside government buildings. Clearly defining these spaces helps municipalities control access and establish protocols when federal immigration agents request entry.

By identifying restricted areas, cities can require judicial warrants before federal agents enter certain parts of government facilities.

Key Actions Cities Are Taking

  • Identifying non-public spaces
    Municipalities review government buildings and designate offices, staff workspaces, and administrative areas as non-public.
  • Establishing access policies
    Cities may require a valid judicial warrant before federal agents are allowed to enter restricted areas.
  • Posting signage and guidance
    Clear signage and internal guidelines help staff understand which areas are public and which require authorization.
  • Training front-line employees
    Receptionists, security staff, and administrators receive guidance on how to respond if federal agents request entry.

Examples from Other Cities

  • Portland, OR
    City leaders implemented policies identifying non-public areas in government facilities and outlining access procedures.
  • San Diego County, CA
    County officials established protocols requiring warrants for entry into restricted areas.

Why This Matters

Defining non-public areas helps cities maintain control over government property while providing staff with clear procedures when federal agents request access.

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Policy & Legal Alerts
IRIS

States and Cities File Legal Challenges Against Federal Enforcement Actions

Overview

In response to expanded federal immigration enforcement policies, several states and cities have filed legal challenges seeking to limit or clarify the scope of federal authority. These lawsuits often focus on protecting local autonomy, ensuring constitutional protections, and preventing federal policies from compelling local cooperation.

Local governments are also supporting litigation through legal advocacy, policy coordination, and public statements.

Key Points

  • Legal challenges to federal directives
    Some states and cities have filed lawsuits arguing that certain federal enforcement policies exceed federal authority or violate constitutional protections.
  • Protecting local control
    Municipal leaders often argue that local governments should not be required to participate in federal immigration enforcement activities.
  • Coordination with advocacy organizations
    Cities frequently work with legal organizations and civil rights groups to support litigation and provide legal analysis.
  • Monitoring court decisions
    Local governments track court rulings closely because decisions may affect how municipalities interact with federal immigration authorities.

Why This Matters

Legal challenges can shape the boundaries between federal immigration enforcement and local government authority, influencing how cities respond to enforcement activity within their communities.

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Policy & Legal Alerts
IRIS

Local Governments Respond to Increased Federal Immigration Enforcement

Overview

In response to increased federal immigration enforcement activity, many cities and counties across the United States have implemented policies and initiatives aimed at protecting residents and clarifying how local governments will respond.

These actions include public education campaigns, staff training protocols, new policies governing city property, and coordination between government agencies and community organizations.

Key Points

  • Know Your Rights campaigns expanding
    Cities have launched public education campaigns to help residents understand their legal rights if approached by immigration agents. These materials are often distributed through transit systems, schools, and community centers.
  • Information hubs and public resources created
    Some cities have developed centralized online platforms that provide immigration resources, legal support information, and guidance for residents facing enforcement activity.
  • Training for local government staff
    Local governments are training city employees on how to respond when federal agents appear at public buildings or interact with city services.
  • Coordination across agencies and community partners
    Many cities are coordinating with nonprofits, legal service providers, and community organizations to ensure residents have access to support during enforcement activity.

Examples from Other Cities

  • Chicago, IL
    City leaders launched a citywide Know Your Rights campaign displayed across the public transit system to help residents understand how to respond if they encounter federal immigration agents.
  • San Francisco, CA
    The city launched the SF Immigrant Forum, an online platform connecting residents with legal services, healthcare resources, and financial assistance programs.
  • Los Angeles, CA
    City officials approved a citywide Know Your Rights campaign distributed through schools, adult education centers, and public facilities.

Why This Matters

Local governments play an important role in providing accurate information, coordinating resources, and helping communities navigate the impacts of federal immigration enforcement activity.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2026 

Media inquiries: 

IRIS: Maggie Mitchell Salem, msalem@irisct.org  

Integrated Refugee & Immigration Services (IRIS) Collaborates with League of Women Voters of Connecticut for Constitution and Citizenship Day 

Partnership raises awareness of the importance of voter registration, provides translated materials 

NEW HAVEN, CT — In honor of this year’s Constitution and Citizenship Day, Integrated Refugee & Immigration Services (IRIS) and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut (LWVCT) are reminding newcomers and the community at large of their partnership to ensure that new citizens are able to access and participate in America’s elections. Each organization carries its own mission and history, but each has a simple conviction: a democracy that values the constitution and citizenship must be one where everyone can participate fully and with dignity. 

“Taken together, these two organizations’ missions form a response to the particular challenges of this moment: deep polarization, the spread of disinformation, and barriers to civic participation,” said Maggie Mitchell Salem, Executive Director of IRIS. “For many families IRIS serves — newcomers shaped by past experiences in countries where political engagement carries life-threatening risk — voting and civic life can feel distant or even dangerous. That is where collaboration matters.” 

The League of Women Voters of Connecticut focuses on the engine democracy runs on: informed, active participation in elections. The League is nonpartisan but not neutral about democracy itself. It believes every eligible voter should be able to understand the issues, access the ballot, and have their vote counted — no exceptions. 

IRIS has been translating LWVCT voter education materials into the languages spoken by refugee and immigrant communities. “When a newly naturalized citizen receives clear, trustworthy, nonpartisan information about how to register and where to vote in their first language, a door opens,” Mitchell continued. “The message arrives alongside the words: you belong here; this democracy is yours too.” 

“How great is it in America to be able to vote in free and fair elections?” said Patricia Rossi and Laura Smits, Co-Presidents of LWVCT. “Live in another country for a while and see how rare and precious that is!” 

Voter registration materials offered by the LWVCT have been translated into multiple languages including Spanish, Swahili, Portuguese, Chinese, Pashto, Dari and Arabic. Residents can access the translated materials at: 

English / Spanish

Swahili

Portuguese

Chinese

Pashto​

Dari​

Arabic ​

About IRIS: Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services  

IRIS welcomes refugees and other immigrants, helps them rebuild their lives, pursue their dreams, and contribute to the vitality of their communities. Founded in 1982, IRIS advances economic mobility, legal stability, language equity, and civic engagement through its New Americans platform. Learn more at irisct.org.  

About the League of Women Voters of Connecticut 

The League is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy. 

 

 

FILL MOBILE FORM HERE

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