The City of New Haven is preparing for the new presidential administration and the various policy changes that may arise.
On Friday, the City of New Haven held a press conference where they unveiled a new “Resource Guide for New Residents.”
The guide is a 38-page booklet that includes a variety of immigrant resources from basic needs to healthcare and legal resources.
"New Haven has been a welcoming community for decades and decades and decades. We are proud to be so, and we will continue to be that community,” Mayor Justin Elicker said.
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The overarching message at the press conference was that immigrants need to know their rights and the city will be helping spread the message through immigrant advocacy groups.
Chief Karl Jacobson with the New Haven Police Department was among the many city officials who were present at the conference.
Jacobson reminded the public that the city’s police department does not inquire on people’s immigration status.
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“We’re just going to continue to keep everybody in this community safe, it does not matter what their immigration status is,” Jacobson said.
He emphasized he wants the immigrant community to feel safe and protected when contacting local law enforcement.
Attorney Ben Haldeman with the New Haven Legal Assistance Association said the city is working to provide more legal representation due to immigration attorneys being stretched thin across the state.
“We are working with partners to generate more capacity for representation and working on creative solutions to help people with cases when they don’t have legal representation,” Haldeman said.
Haldeman provided some advice on what people can begin to do as the country awaits the policy changes:
- Get informed, seek out know your rights opportunities with local organizations
- Seek legal consults about your specific immigration situation, whether you’ve been here for one year or 25 years
Ambar Santiago-Rojas, a member of Semilla Collective, a grassroots organization that helps undocumented immigrants, and a high school senior, said it's important for young people to be aware of immigrant rights.
“A lot of parents work a lot of other hours, and so kids can sometimes educate their parents on what their rights are, also it's very important from a young age to know your rights, that way you can defend yourself,” Santiago-Rojas said.
To access New Haven’s Resource Guide for New Residents, click here.
