Tag: Trump

How does the Trump Administration’s new immigration policy impact Rocky Hill?
On January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded a policy that prevented imigration enforcement officers from operating in “sensitive areas” such as churches, hospitals, and schools. Many in Rocky Hill ask what this means for children in our school system. Rocky Hill Democrats believe that the people in our town should be informed of the policies of the school board and our police officers. Here is a description of how our schools and police say they will interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, or any federal immigration authority.

We aren’t providing legal advice: we are sharing the resources provided by state and local legal authorities.

What is the law?

Connecticut law defines how state and local law enforcement will interact with federal immigration authorities. An important state law is the Trust Act, which was passed in 2013 and updated in 2019. The Connecticut Attorney General’s Office summarizes key parts of the Trust Act, which:
- Prohibits law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department, from unnecessarily sharing certain information with ICE unless required to do so by law;
- Clarifies that local and state law enforcement are not required by law to arrest, transport, or detain people for ICE;
- Prevents local and state agencies with detention facilities – like jails, courthouses, and prisons – from allowing ICE to roam their facilities;
- Prevents law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department from performing the functions of a federal immigration authority;
How do Rocky Hill Police interact with ICE?

In short, Rocky Hill Police cannot provide resources, information, or support to federal immigration authorities without a warrant signed by a judicial officer.

In the February 18th, 2025 Public Safety Commission meeting, Rocky Hill Police Chief Brian Klett reviewed a notice that Rocky Hill Police use as guidance for their interactions with federal immigration authorities.

This document explains:
- State police can only provide support to federal immigration officers under specific conditions:
  - there is a judicial warrant for someone
  - they have been convicted of a felony, or
  - they are a possible match on a terrorist watch list
- Unless those conditions are met, the law prohibits Connecticut police officers from providing information, providing time or resources to communicate with ICE, and generally performing any function of a federal immigration authority.
What access do ICE agents have to Rocky Hill Schools?

Rocky Hill public schools cannot provide information about a student, allow federal immigration agents onto school grounds, or facilitate the arrest or detainment of a student without a warrant signed by a judicial officer. The warrant must be submitted to the school superintendent. If this warrant is provided, the school will facilitate the immigration officer’s actions.

To be clear; a federal immigration authority cannot enter a Rocky Hill School and apprehend a student or request information unless under the specific conditions listed above. Similarly, school resource officers cannot facilitate an ICE action without those conditions.

On February 25, 2025, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB 7066, which among other things requires schools to adopt a policy like the one that Rocky Hill schools follow today. As of writing, the Department of Education is expected to issue guidance on how this policy will impact schools. This article will be updated.

Immigrant communities deserve clarity and safety

As Democrats, we oppose the Trump Administration’s decision to open “sensitive places” – including our schools, hospitals, and places of worship – for immigration officers to act. When the federal government treats immigrants as the enemy, even people with legal status can fear to let their children go to school, report a crime, or go to the doctor when they get sick.

Put simply by the National Immigration Law Center:

“Protecting sensitive locations from immigration enforcement is essential to ensuring all our community members can access basic services and support without fear—the policy’s rescission constitutes an attack on immigrant communities’ wellbeing and undermines safety for all.”

Additional Resources
- CT Department of Education Guidance, January 28, 2025
- ACLU Connecticut Immigrants’ Rights and Resource Guide
March 5, 2025
Amidst the Trump Administration’s Global Harms, Connecticut Democrats Plan Action
The Trump Administration has lost no time in deconstructing important government institutions, including the U.S. development agency, USAID. On Thursday, Rocky Hill Democrats hosted a speaker who shared an account of how swiftly shuttering USAID has hurt people abroad and the United States’ interests. With representatives from Rocky Hill, Durham, and Wethersfield present, we spent the evening sharing ways to take action to preserve our institutions.

Closing USAID hurts millions of people counting on American support

USAID is an institution with global impact. To illustrate the support provided by the United States, Kristina Talbert-Slagle, the Chair of the Durham DTC, shared her experiences as the lead of a $15 million USAID award to help rebuild Liberia’s health system. Liberia, a small African country on the Atlantic coast, was one of the three countries most disastrously impacted by the Ebola crisis from 2014 to 2015. About 1 of every 12 healthcare workers in Liberia was killed by Ebola. The program headed by Talbert-Slagle, and the broader array of US-Funded support, enabled the building of a major hospital in Liberia’s capital city, the training and strengthening of the country’s health care workforce, and delivering critical, life-saving treatments.

Felicia, a 29 year old Liberian nurse supported by USAID, prepares to go inside the Ebola patient ward to draw blood from confirmed patients for testing

Despite its outsized impact, Talbert-Slagle pointed out that funding for USAID makes up less than 0.7% of the U.S. gross national income. While claiming to save money for the American people, President Trump and Elon Musk have targeted less than a penny for every dollar spent. In exchange for their efforts, they strike at the health, safety, and prosperity of many people at home and abroad.

Talbert-Slagle described how the sudden, unplanned attempt to close USAID has impacted Liberians.

“We’ve had to issue layoff notices to 48 people in Liberia, many of whom are leading practitioners in the University of Liberia College of Health Sciences. That has been extremely painful. I can’t even begin to say how painful it has been…Food is rotting that’s supposed to be distributed to people. Medicines are expiring.”

The reality is that people will die as a result of the decision. During the Ebola crisis, thousands of people died of a disease that is relatively hard to spread. When a health-care system that still relies so heavily on aid from the U.S. and others loses support, it results in people losing the care that might have protected them from getting dangerously ill or treating them when they are sick.

Failing to act internationally hurts Americans

As Talbert-Slagle illustrated, slashing USAID hurts the U.S. as well as our international partners, in several ways:
- Disrupting federal investment in health puts Americans at risk. If we don’t have partners to detect the spread of diseases and treat them overseas, they are more likely to come here to the United States. “We can’t protect ourselves simply by locking down the border,” says Talbert-Slagle, pointing out how pathogens don’t respect borders. “You know, an airborne pathogen can get here before we even know it.” You can read more about airborne transmission of many different pathogens here.
- America’s departure hurts our soft power and leaves a vacuum to be filled by others. America gains influence on world affairs through our support for other countries. Withdrawing that support not only damages world confidence that the U.S. is a reliable partner, it leaves space for other countries to have greater influence. For example, Talbert-Slagle recounted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative provides critical infrastructure to Liberia and other countries. While the U.S. withdraws, China stays, and continues to build relationships across Africa.
- American organizations are hurt by the cutting of foreign aid. USAID benefits American prosperity by engaging private sector, colleges and universities, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and research institutions. Cutting off that support impacts thousands of organizations across the majority of states in the country.
A map of U.S. groups that partner with USAID

You can have an impact by organizing at the local level

Right now, people are looking for a way they can stop the harm done by the Trump administration to USAID and other critical institutions. Last night, Democrats from Rocky Hill, Durham, and Wethersfield all agreed that the first step is to come together to take action. As a community who can write letters, join protests, mobilize mutual aid groups, and vote, we can grow a power base to protect ourselves and take back power at the federal level. Here are things you can do, today, to start making a difference.
- Join your local Democratic Town Committee, whether it be in Rocky Hill, Durham, Wethersfield, or your own town. These groups will be organizing hubs for taking action, and a community of like-minded people who can support you.
- Sign up for our mailing list. We will keep you informed of important events and actions at the local level.
- Visit our events and actions page, which list protests, actions, and other activities for building community and making a difference here at home. (Please contact us if you want to list an event).
If we work together at a local level, we can grow a powerful group that can take power at the local, state, and national level. And we can build community, which will be critical to keeping our loved ones prosperous and safe.

The Rocky Hill Dems want to offer a huge “thank you” to Kristina Talbert-Slagle for speaking with us, and we look forward to collaborating with Democrats from Durham, Wethersfield, and all over to make our country better.
February 15, 2025