DARA's Statement Regarding ICE in Danbury, CT and the Nation

Danbury Area Refugee Assistance (DARA) denounces the inhumane actions that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents use against our immigrant population in not only Danbury, CT, but across the nation.

In October of 2015, many US citizens were drawn together by a common mission: help the people of Syria fleeing the terror and immense suffering inflicted upon them by the Assad regime. Across Connecticut, dozens of community groups were formed to answer this call. Led by Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) of New Haven, CT, these groups welcomed refugee families into their communities and provided the social services usually handled by a resettlement agency. DARA was among the first of these groups, and we have been honored to work with three refugee families since 2016.

Refugees are survivors: despite enduring extreme trauma and losing everything, they had the fortitude to escape and persevere through a rigorous, years-long vetting process to start their lives over again in America. This noble tradition has been in place for most of our country's existence: offering refuge to our neighbors in need from around the world, as is so eloquently expressed in Emma Lazarus's poem The New Colossus:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The US refugee resettlement program has always had strong bipartisan support, providing a legal pathway to life in America that benefits all of us: The Economic Contributions of Connecticut’s Immigrant Community.

Those who enter our country undocumented and in desperation are also often suffering untenable circumstances in their homeland. Our lawmakers have spent decades trying to address our broken immigration system. There are many strategies the US could employ to create a secure border and a fair system that honors America's history of welcoming immigrants. DARA strongly believes that the suspension of refugee resettlement and other draconian strategies chosen by our current administration are not the answer.

ICE agents employ tactics of harassment, intimidation, and terror against immigrants: family separation, denial of due process, endless detention in horrific for-profit facilities, and more. ICE must be held accountable; their actions have caused death, injury, and illegal detainment and deportation of American citizens and immigrants legally present in the US. This brutal, unlawful treatment of all immigrant populations is inexcusable.

DARA believes that the concept of “neighbor” is not just those who live next door. In the sense of our shared humanity, it’s anyone we assist regardless of ability, beliefs, culture, economic resources, ethnicity, gender identity, or race. Strangers helping neighbors, and neighbors helping strangers creates a strong, vibrant community for everyone.

DARA not only stands in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors, but actively works to ensure that those who are welcomed by our government have a solid guide to succeed as US citizens. We reject the savage, atrocious tactics used by ICE that are wrongfully sanctioned as “lawful.” There is a better way: our lawmakers must acknowledge that the refugee resettlement model is a proven method, and should consider this when debating how to offer a new system of refuge and opportunity for immigrants.  Implementing a fair and just system for all immigrant populations should be our shared goal.

DARA condemns this current administration's heartless, selfish, and misguided policies, and we remain steadfast in our conviction to carry on in aid of our neighbors in need.

The DARA Board of Directors