Join IRIS and our community partners for the World Refugee & Immigrant Festival, a joyful celebration of the cultures, traditions, and stories that make our communities stronger. Enjoy global cuisine, refugee speakers, live entertainment, henna, and family-friendly activities while connecting with neighbors from around the world. When: Saturday, September 19, 1–4 PM Where: Dixwell Community … Read More "World Refugee & Immigrant Festival"
Join Connecticut Foodshare, IRIS, and community partners for Gather 2026: A Celebration of Partnership, a full-day conference bringing together food pantries, community kitchens, emergency shelters, and nonprofit partners to learn, connect, and strengthen the communities we serve. IRIS will co-present a workshop with Building One Community focused on meeting the unique needs of immigrant neighbors … Read More "Gather, A Celebration of Partnership"
Join CT Students for a Dream and the CT Immigrant Support Network for TPS Changes & What They Mean for Connecticut, a webinar discussing recent TPS changes, their impact on Connecticut residents, and available support—including the rollout of $5 million in cash assistance and upcoming clinics offering free legal consultations. Hear from HUSKY for Immigrants, … Read More "TPS Changes & What They Mean for Connecticut"
Join the Notre Dame Club of New Haven for the 2026 UND Celebration: Cultivators of Hope, a timely conversation exploring how Notre Dame and Catholic partners are standing with Ukraine through humanitarian aid, academic partnerships, and moral advocacy during the ongoing war. Hear from Rory Finn and Grant Osborn as they discuss Notre Dame’s ongoing … Read More "Cultivators of Hope: How Notre Dame and Catholic Partners Stand with Ukraine"
Join the CT Mirror for a Sit & Speak in Bridgeport focused on immigration and the issues affecting immigrant families in the city. Hear from Bridgeport residents about immigration enforcement, knowing your rights, accessing resources, and the concerns facing immigrant communities. Attendees are invited to ask questions, share their experiences, or simply listen and learn. … Read More "Bridgeport Sit & Speak: A Conversation with CT Mirror on Immigration"
Hosted by End Hunger Connecticut!, this free, public event will bring together community leaders, nonprofits, advocates, and elected officials to discuss issues affecting Connecticut families, including immigration, food access, housing, … Read More "OneCT! Equity & Action Symposium – Immigration Roundtable"
Hosted by Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church and United Women in Faith, this free, public community meeting will have a discussion with focus on the current state of immigration, … Read More "Community Meeting with IRIS – Current State of Immigration, Challenges Faced, and How to Help"
IRIS will host a community craft fair celebrating creativity, culture, and support for immigrant and refugee communities. The event will feature local artisans and vendors offering handmade arts, crafts, and … Read More "IRIS Craft Fair – In Support of Immigrant and Refugee Communities"
Tetyana and Daad will share their personal journeys to the United States, pathways to citizenship, experiences related to war and displacement, and ways the community can help address myths and … Read More "Our Journeys to America – Hamden Commission on Human Rights and Relations"
IRIS has been invited to participate in a community Turkey Trot organized to support refugee and immigrant families. The event will feature a community run/walk, a moment of gratitude, fresh … Read More "2nd Annual Turkey Trot – Community Run/Walk Benefiting IRIS"
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:
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.
PUBLISHED BY THE DAY Oct 29, 2025
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)
PUBLISHED BY THE HARTFORD COURANT
Originally Published:
