Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants

09/02/2026

Join us for a meaningful evening at CIRI’s 2026 Annual Soirée as we celebrate community, resilience, and our enduring hope.

Experience a thoughtful assortment of plates and drinks, inspiring conversations, and a celebration of the people, partnerships, and possibilities that continue to light the way toward brighter futures. The evening will also include the presentation of the Illuminating Leadership Award, the Shared Light Award, and the Beacon of Hope award to members of our community who work tirelessly to keep our state welcoming, strong, and resilient.


CIRI’s 2026 Annual Soirée: Illuminating Hope
Thursday, September 24, 2026
The Inn at Longshore | Westport
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Stay tuned for more details, including the unveiling of this year’s auction items.

To purchase tickets, click here: https://cirict.org/event/ciris-2026-annual-soiree-illuminating-hope/

08/24/2026

CIRI’s 2026 Annual Soirée

We are honored to invite you to join us for Illuminating Hope, an evening to gather, connect, and celebrate. Experience thoughtfully curated food and drink, inspiring conversations, an exciting live auction, and a celebration of the people, partnerships, and possibilities that continue to light the way towards brighter futures.

Thursday, September 24, 2026
The Inn at Longshore | Westport
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Stay tuned for more details, including the unveiling of this year’s auction items.

To purchase tickets, click here: https://cirict.org/event/ciris-2026-annual-soiree-illuminating-hope/

We can’t wait to welcome you!

08/14/2026

Yesterday, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a decision that travel abroad on an Advance Parole is a “Departure” under immigration law. This means that, depending on an applicant’s immigration history and accrual of “unlawful presence,” travel on Advance Parole may trigger the Unlawful Presence Bar and prevent their return to the United States for up to ten years.

This ruling applies only prospectively, meaning that this rule will not be applied to prior travel on Advance Parole. However, going forward, anyone with Advance Parole who intends to travel should review their specific immigration history with their attorney or representative prior to departure to determine whether this new rule will impact their ability to safely travel and return to the United States.

For more information, please visit cirict.org or call (203) 336-0141.

08/12/2026

On International Youth Day, we honor the resilience and important role youth play within our immigrant and refugee communities as they work toward stronger, more inclusive futures for themselves, their families, and the communities around them.

As our shared experiences continue to evolve, the perspectives, creativity, and aspirations of youth remain essential to building a future rooted in opportunity and stability.

At CIRI, empowering youth is an important part of our commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive Connecticut.

Through programs like STRIVE, participants have opportunities to build career readiness, life skills, confidence, and meaningful connections within their communities. As just one of the many experiences STRIVE has offered this year, participants volunteered in the kitchen and food pantry at the Thomas Merton Family Center, gaining valuable service experience, practicing professional and interpersonal skills, and giving back to their community.

Experiences like these help ensure that children and young adults have the support, resources, and opportunities to navigate their educational and social journeys with confidence, build toward their goals, and truly thrive.

08/07/2026

This year at CIRI’s Summer English Academy (SEA), students in the Social-Emotional Learning classes reflected on their individual journeys and hopes for the future. Each student created a butterfly in their own unique style, symbolizing transformation, resilience, and growth. Guided by SEA’s art educators, those individual butterflies became one collaborative installation, bringing together the students’ reflections, creativity, and shared sense of community.

The meaning behind the artwork is best captured in the students’ own artist statement:

Every student at CIRI Summer Academy made a unique paper butterfly. The student’s name is on the body of the butterfly. In the background, the students wrote their hopes and dreams using black ink.

During the school year, we live in different places. We are like butterflies flying around a huge, colorful garden. But in the summer, we come back to this special place. Here, we can rest, heal, and help each other grow. We are just like monarch butterflies that fly to the forests of Mexico to stay warm and safe.

CIRI Summer Academy is a safe and special place where we all come together. In our community, we celebrate who we are. We share our cultures, and we feel proud of our history. To show our connection, we made a giant heart out of our paper butterflies. And just like real butterflies, we are changing, growing, and getting ready to fly!

08/05/2026

Last week, CIRI partnered with The Center for Family Justice (CFJ) and the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) to host two hybrid training sessions at Housatonic Community College, bringing together professionals, community partners, and families to deepen understanding of human trafficking and its impact on immigrants and refugees across Connecticut.

The morning session welcomed more than 85 staff members from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT), who explored how migration experiences can influence vulnerability, trust, and disclosure. Through discussion and real-life scenarios, participants strengthened trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches to supporting individuals and families.

In the afternoon, more than 110 community members joined us to learn how to recognize warning signs of human trafficking, better understand available resources, and gain practical tools for supporting those who may be at risk.

At CIRI, we know that awareness leads to action. When communities have the knowledge and confidence to recognize concerns and respond with compassion, individuals and families are better supported.

Thank you to The Center for Family Justice, Inc., DCF, Housatonic Community College, and everyone who joined us for these conversations. Together, we’re building safer, stronger communities through education and partnership.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact CIRI at 203-336-0141.

07/30/2026

Thank you, Office of Governor Ned Lamont, for recognizing the urgent needs of Connecticut's immigrant communities and taking action to support those impacted.

CIRI is proud to stand alongside our communities, providing trusted services, legal support, and resources to help individuals and families navigate these changes. We are here to help. 💙

Thousands of Connecticut residents are affected by Trump’s decision to end TPS for Haitians, Syrians, and others. Today I asked the legislature for approval to direct $5M from the Federal Cuts Response Fund to support these individuals suddenly losing their work authorization and legal status.

07/24/2026

Our 2025 Annual Report is here!

As we reflect on a year of growth, resilience, and meaningful impact, we're reminded that every milestone was made possible through the strength of our community. Together, we expanded programs, opened a new headquarters, and served more than 5,000 refugees, immigrants, survivors of human trafficking, and other vulnerable individuals across Connecticut.

Click the link to read our CEO's full letter and explore CIRI's 2025 Annual Report:https://cirict.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CIRI-2025-Annual-Report-FINAL.pdf

Thank you for being part of this journey, and for helping us continue building pathways to safety. 💙🌍

07/20/2026

CIRI’s Resilience, Independence, Skills & Empowerment (RISE) program, in collaboration with Ctlead, has continued to be very active through the summer months, supporting New Haven-based Afghan women in building confidence, new skills, independence, and overall self-empowerment.

The leaders at RISE have done an incredible job of organizing bi-weekly sessions offering highly diverse activities and lessons, each focusing on overcoming barriers that often keep women from immigrant and refugee backgrounds from truly thriving in new spaces.

The introductory session in June was hosted with CTrides & CTtransit to help participants become familiar with navigating public transportation in Connecticut. The session focused on building awareness and confidence, including looking up routes, understanding schedules, recognizing bus signs, and knowing where to look for help. Subsequent sessions have focused on building strong foundations of English learning through dynamic activities, promoting creativity and its intersection with emotional well-being, and active self-care workshops structured to address the shifting conditions navigated by immigrant and refugee populations.

A core focus of RISE is to ensure that our clients understand and are familiarized with resources available in the community. We achieve this through collaboration with partner organizations as well as specialized CIRI staff members. Most recently, United Way of Greater New Haven led a presentation introducing participants to the vast network of support that New Haven has built, as well as how to navigate it based on specific needs.

We are very excited for the initiative to evolve and become more connected as each session offers new skills and forms of confidence to our clients.

07/17/2026

Mark your calendars! ✨

Hope shines brightest when shared.

Join CIRI for Illuminating Hope, an evening to gather, connect, and celebrate. Experience an evening of thoughtfully curated food and drink, inspiring conversation, and a celebration of the people, partnerships, and possibilities that continue to light the way toward brighter futures.

Thursday, September 24, 2026
Inn at Longshore | Westport
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Stay tuned for more details. You can purchase tickets early by visiting our events page: https://cirict.org/ciri-events/

We can’t wait to welcome you!