Dem Conn. Gov. Lamont to Illegals: You're Welcome Here

Connecticut's governor and attorney general, both Democrats, have publicly embraced illegal immigrants in their state amid President Donald Trump's mission of mass deportations and securing of the nation's borders.

"It is the policy of the state of Connecticut to respect, honor, and protect immigrants and immigrant families in full compliance with the law," said Attorney General William Tong, CT Insider reported Friday. "We're going to do what we can for immigrants and immigrant families because they're important to us."

Tong's office issued a memo last week detailing protections against deportation in state law, including the Trust Act, passed in 2013 and updated in 2019, which prohibits state and local authorities from working with federal immigration enforcement in most situations. The memo, according to CT Insider, emphasized there is nothing in state law to prevent Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents to detain an illegal immigrant.

"Immigration enforcement is a federal prerogative," the memo said. "Though Connecticut is a sovereign state, Connecticut does not and cannot restrict the activities of federal immigration officials."

In the face of Trump's sweeping immigration directives at the beginning of his second administration, Gov. Ned Lamont had a message for illegal immigrants: "You're welcome here."

"We don't collect the immigration status of people who are going to church or kids who are at school," Lamont said, according to CT Insider. "Our cops are busy trying to keep the streets safe, they're not asking the immigration status of somebody who's caught jaywalking or speeding."

Republicans in the state legislature have called for repealing the Trust Act to allow more cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. The Trust Act allows for exceptions only in cases where an illegal immigrant has been convicted of certain serious felonies.

But members of the General Assembly's Joint Committee on Judiciary said last week they will draft a bill to strengthen the Trust Act so that it further protects illegal immigrants, CT Insider reported.

State Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, who co-chairs the Judiciary Committee, said lawmakers have "a desire to take a look at the Trust Act and see whether it's as protective as we intended to be" but did not provide details.

Tong said there's no good reason for the state to help federal immigration authorities. He said the Trust Act "stands for a very basic proposition that the federal government has authority for immigration law enforcement."

"That's their job, it's not our job," he said, according to CT Insider. "Our job is to make sure that our communities are safe and that police officers and first responders have trust with the communities that they serve."

White House spokesman Kush Desai said Monday in an email to Newsmax, the Trump administration will not back down against efforts by states such as Connecticut that are seeking to protect illegal immigrants.

"President Trump received a historic mandate from the American people to secure our border, mass deport illegal immigrants, and put American citizens first," Desai said. "He will use every lever of executive and legislative power to deliver for the American people."

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