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I should be leading with a joyous back-to-school message, celebrating our children, families, teachers, and communities. Instead, I am once again speaking out about the fear and disruption caused by aggressive ICE enforcement actions in Danbury and our surrounding communities.
What we are seeing in Connecticut is a profoundly disturbing pattern across the country: Families are being terrorized, children are witnessing parents being detained and brutalized, and people are being afraid to go to work. For the first time all summer, this Monday morning in our district was silent of lawn care sounds. No whir of leaf blowers or revving of landscape equipment. ... No faint sounds of mowers echoing off the hillside.
The human cost is enormous, but so is the economic cost. Business owners are telling us that customers are staying home. Employers are seeing workers — including people with legal status — afraid to report to work. When fear keeps people from participating in their communities and local economies, everyone feels the impact.
We can expect our government to enforce immigration laws while demanding due process, human dignity and basic decency. People who commit serious crimes should be held accountable through our justice system. But unlawful use of violence, racial profiling, extra-judicial abuse and warrantless attacks by unidentified federal agents of families, workers, asylum-seekers going about their business has made a mockery of our Constitution, our democracy, and the rule of law. I cannot be silent and stand on the sidelines while our communities are traumatized.
These federal operations also create difficult circumstances for our local police departments and municipalities. The Connecticut Trust Act appropriately limits local law enforcement's involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, while federal agencies may conduct operations without advance notice to local officials. Our police should not be placed in unsafe situations involving operations they do not control.
I am grateful to the advocates, service providers, faith communities, elected officials, and residents who are working tirelessly to support families affected by these actions.
Our communities deserve better than fear. We can support the rule of law without abandoning compassion. We can hold dangerous criminals accountable without traumatizing children. And we can have a serious conversation about immigration policy while insisting that every person be treated with dignity and humanity.
These are our neighbors. They are part of the fabric of Danbury, Redding, Weston and Easton, as well as communities across Connecticut. At a moment when we should be celebrating the beginning of a new school year, we should also be making sure every child can get on that school bus, every parent can go to work, and every family can live without fear.
Read more here. |
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| 'Understanding Homelessness' |
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Last week, I had the opportunity to attend an "Understanding Homelessness" Lunch & Learn hosted by Opening Doors Fairfield County, focused on understanding our region’s homeless response system.
The conversation provided an important firsthand look at the realities facing individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our communities and the network of organizations working every day to connect people with housing, services, and stability.
As policymakers, it is essential that we show up, listen, and understand what is happening on the ground. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from those working within the system and to learn more about both the challenges and the solutions being pursued across Fairfield County.
Homelessness is a structural, 'man-made' crisis that requires collaboration among state and local government, service providers, housing organizations, advocates, and our communities. I am grateful to everyone at Opening Doors Fairfield County for the relentless, year-round work they show up every day to do, and for inviting elected officials to better understand how we can be stronger partners in making the structural investments in housing affordability, flexible funding, Right to Counsel for those facing eviction, and other prevention tools that work, so that ensure everyone is housed safely with dignity throughout our state.
I look forward to continuing these conversations and working toward policies and investments that help ensure everyone in our region has access to safe, stable housing and the support they need to thrive.
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| Farmers' Market at Lachat Town Farm |
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| While this time of year can evoke wistful feelings as the end of summer approaches, it’s inspiring and energizing to attend Weston’s Farmers' Market at Lachat Town Farm! Always a treat to frolic amongst Weston’s own “The BarCar Band” and to enjoy so much musical talent, local vendors and growers in the fields of LaChat Farm! There's one more Farmers' Market at Lachat Town Farm scheduled for Sept. 25, from 4 to 8 p.m.! |
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| Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over |
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As Labor Day weekend approaches, Connecticut is joining the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. From now through Sept. 7, increased patrols by state and local law enforcement will target impaired and dangerous drivers.
If your celebrations include alcohol or cannabis, plan a sober ride home before you leave. Designate a sober driver, use a rideshare, taxi, or public transportation, and never drive while impaired. If a friend is about to drive impaired, take their keys and help them find a safe way home.
Impaired driving remains a leading cause of preventable traffic deaths. In Connecticut, 105 people were killed in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2024 — 34% of all traffic fatalities that year.
Please help keep our roads safe: plan ahead, look out for one another, and call 911 when it is safe to report a suspected impaired driver. No celebration is worth risking a life. |
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| Mark Twain Library Book Fair |
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| Lions Club Italian Dinner |
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| Easton Volunteer EMS Fireworks |
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As always, please feel free to contact my office at 800-842-8267 or by email at anne.hughes@cga.ct.gov. And "Like" and follow my Facebook page for regular legislative updates.
Peace,
Anne Hughes
State Representative |
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