{"id":507,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=507"},"modified":"2026-01-06T20:42:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T01:42:47","slug":"with-fewer-refugees-ct-groups-seek-new-ways-to-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/with-fewer-refugees-ct-groups-seek-new-ways-to-help\/","title":{"rendered":"With fewer refugees, Connecticut volunteers seek new ways to help  "},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Anna Heqi\u00admi
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/strong>
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Doina Lavoie-Gonci and oth\u00ader vol\u00adun\u00adteers with the Old Lyme Refugee Reset\u00adtle\u00adment Com\u00admit\u00adtee learned about the plight of a preg\u00adnant moth\u00ader of three from Hon\u00adduras whose hus\u00adband had been deport\u00aded, they took action, work\u00ading to iden\u00adti\u00adfy orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions and resources that could help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doina Lavoie-Gonci (mid\u00addle) with Mark Staves (left) and Jo-Ann Staves (right) pos\u00ading for a por\u00adtrait at the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. They are vol\u00adun\u00adteers with the Old Lyme Refugee Reset\u00adtle\u00adment Com\u00admit\u00adtee. Pho\u00adto by Anna Heqi\u00admi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The group, which was pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to help\u00ading new refugees set\u00adtle in the area, is among the many vol\u00adun\u00adteer orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions seek\u00ading new ways to aid immi\u00adgrant and refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies already in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are all \u2018vis\u00adi\u00adtors\u2019 here on this plan\u00adet and in our life\u00adtimes have choic\u00ades on how we choose to walk down our indi\u00advid\u00adual path,\u201d Lavoie-Gonci said. \u201cFor me, it is sim\u00adply the right thing to do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the year since Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump returned to the White House and immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment has sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly ramped up, the refugee reset\u00adtle\u00adment sys\u00adtem has dras\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly changed. After ini\u00adtial\u00adly sus\u00adpend\u00ading the refugee reset\u00adtle\u00adment pro\u00adgram, Trump sig\u00adnif\u00adi\u00adcant\u00adly lim\u00adit\u00aded the num\u00adber of incom\u00ading refugees.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With far few\u00ader refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies enter\u00ading the coun\u00adtry, local non\u00adprof\u00adits and church groups have had to adapt to uphold their mis\u00adsions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under Pres\u00adi\u00addent Joseph Biden, the refugee lim\u00adit for fis\u00adcal year 2025 was set at 125,000, with spots allo\u00adcat\u00aded to those com\u00ading from Africa, East Asia and Latin Amer\u00adi\u00adca. Accord\u00ading to the Depart\u00adment of Home\u00adland Secu\u00adri\u00adty, most refugees came from Venezuela, Afghanistan and Syr\u00adia in fis\u00adcal year 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late Sep\u00adtem\u00adber 2025, Trump announced<\/a> his admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion would lim\u00adit the num\u00adber of refugees to just 7,500 refugees for fis\u00adcal year 2026, pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly accept\u00ading Afrikan\u00aders from South Africa, accord\u00ading to the Office of Home\u00adland Secu\u00adri\u00adty. Trump also banned Afghans from enter\u00ading the U.S., and Venezue\u00adlans are par\u00adtial\u00adly banned, accord\u00ading to a pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial procla\u00adma\u00adtion<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump said that Afrikan\u00aders are fac\u00ading per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adtion. \u201cGen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly they\u2019re white farm\u00aders and they\u2019re flee\u00ading South Africa, and it\u2019s a very sad thing to see,\u201d he said in remarks<\/a> at the White House. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mag\u00adgie Mitchell Salem, exec\u00adu\u00adtive direc\u00adtor of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut-based Inte\u00adgrat\u00aded Refugee & Immi\u00adgrant Ser\u00advices, said the \u201chis\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly low\u201d refugee admis\u00adsions num\u00adber sets an \u201cunfor\u00adtu\u00adnate record.\u201d The 2026 fis\u00adcal year lim\u00adit is the low\u00adest num\u00adber of max\u00adi\u00admum refugees accept\u00aded in the coun\u00adtry since the pro\u00adgram start\u00aded in 1980 \u2013 even low\u00ader than dur\u00ading the COVID-19 pan\u00addem\u00adic, accord\u00ading to the Migra\u00adtion Pol\u00adi\u00adcy Insti\u00adtute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitchell Salem said the white Afrikan\u00aders that the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion is pri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adtiz\u00ading are those who are \u201cide\u00ado\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly aligned with the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion,\u201d and not actu\u00adal refugees. Her orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion made the deci\u00adsion to no longer par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpate in the refugee admis\u00adsion pro\u00adgram and to not to assist any new refugees besides Afghan allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions being wel\u00adcomed are not refugees, and we know what that word means, and we know who we serve,\u201d Mitchell Salem said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Depart\u00adment of State used to pro\u00advide the group, known as IRIS, with fund\u00ading to sup\u00adport refugee set\u00adtle\u00adment for the first 90 days that a refugee was in the U.S. The funds were used to pro\u00advide refugees with apart\u00adments, basic sup\u00adplies and gro\u00adceries. It also helped cov\u00ader staff that assist refugees to get chil\u00addren into school, find jobs, and obtain legal ser\u00advices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion cut refugee sup\u00adport fund\u00ading, caus\u00ading the non\u00adprof\u00adit to lose $4 mil\u00adlion in rev\u00adenue in ear\u00adly 2025, accord\u00ading to Mitchell Salem. IRIS cut 40% of its staff and closed offices in Hart\u00adford and New Haven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think being an immi\u00adgrant is at the core of who we are as Amer\u00adi\u00adcans,\u201d Mitchell Salem said. \u201cThe work we do at IRIS is fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly among the most Amer\u00adi\u00adcan jobs you can have because it\u2019s bring\u00ading in and help\u00ading adjust the next gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion, and I think that\u2019s beau\u00adti\u00adful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daad Ser\u00adw\u00aderi, who came to the U.S. in 2017 from Afghanistan and works as IRIS\u2019 asso\u00adciate direc\u00adtor of spon\u00adsor\u00adship, said the orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtion is rely\u00ading more on vol\u00adun\u00adteers and com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty part\u00adners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ser\u00adw\u00aderi said he thinks that less refugees and immi\u00adgrants will be harm\u00adful to the U.S. econ\u00ado\u00admy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of immi\u00adgrants and refugees are entre\u00adpre\u00adneurs, and they are not only con\u00adtribut\u00ading eco\u00adnom\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly, but also are cre\u00adat\u00ading employ\u00adment for many oth\u00aders,\u201d Ser\u00adw\u00aderi said. \u201cBy not hav\u00ading this pro\u00adgram and not wel\u00adcom\u00ading refugees in this coun\u00adtry, we are los\u00ading those advan\u00adtages.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Church\u00ades com\u00admit\u00adted to sup\u00adport\u00ading refugees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Gros\u00adjean is a liai\u00adson for the Storrs Com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty Church Mer\u00adcy & Jus\u00adtice Team and Qui\u00adet Cor\u00adner Refugee Reset\u00adtle\u00adment, which has helped set\u00adtle five refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies since their found\u00ading in 2015. Her church is one of 30 faith com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpat\u00ading in Qui\u00adet Cor\u00adner Refugee Reset\u00adtle\u00adment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three fam\u00adi\u00adlies were from Syr\u00adia, one was from Afghanistan and one was from Nicaragua. Gros\u00adjean, who is a for\u00admer teacher, would help the chil\u00addren of the fam\u00adi\u00adlies learn Eng\u00adlish and would over\u00adsee fur\u00adnish\u00ading the restrooms of the hous\u00ades pro\u00advid\u00aded to the refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has been a great way to vol\u00adun\u00adteer in my retire\u00adment and give back to the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty after 35 years of teach\u00ading,\u201d Gros\u00adjean said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She described the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty effort that went into sup\u00adport\u00ading new refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies: one vol\u00adun\u00adteer would teach the adults how to dri\u00adve while anoth\u00ader would help the fam\u00adi\u00adly open a bank account and orga\u00adnize their finances, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the changes to the refugee sys\u00adtem, the group doesn\u2019t expect to have new fam\u00adi\u00adlies to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole sys\u00adtem fell apart,\u201d she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But vol\u00adun\u00adteers have formed strong con\u00adnec\u00adtions with the refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies already here and still help them as friends, she said. \u201cWe go as long as there is a need,\u201d Gros\u00adjean said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moth\u00ader of one of the Syr\u00adi\u00adan fam\u00adi\u00adlies Gros\u00adjean helped reset\u00adtle said she is extreme\u00adly grate\u00adful for the sup\u00adport she received. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yas\u00admin Almuh\u00adsen said if she did not receive the sup\u00adport she did, \u201cI would not have gone to the doc\u00adtors or go to school; I wouldn\u2019t do any\u00adthing.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, she is a U.S. cit\u00adi\u00adzen, run\u00adning a small cook\u00ading busi\u00adness and work\u00ading on get\u00adting her GED. Gros\u00adjean remains a cru\u00adcial sup\u00adport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there is any\u00adthing, I call her,\u201d Almuh\u00adsen said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Gros\u00adjean (left) hug\u00adging Yas\u00admin Almuh\u00adsen (right). Almuh\u00adsen is the moth\u00ader of a Syr\u00adi\u00adan refugee fam\u00adi\u00adly that Gros\u00adjean helped reset\u00adtle in Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut. Pho\u00adto by Anna Heqi\u00admi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mem\u00adbers of oth\u00ader groups that were focused on new refugees say they are focused now on help\u00ading exist\u00ading mem\u00adbers of their com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lavoie-Gonci, a physi\u00adcian assis\u00adtant, sup\u00adport\u00aded refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies through med\u00adical assis\u00adtance, ensur\u00ading they went to appoint\u00adments, got well\u00adness checks and took med\u00adica\u00adtions as pre\u00adscribed. She would also assist fam\u00adi\u00adlies apply\u00ading for gov\u00adern\u00adment ben\u00ade\u00adfits such as the Sup\u00adple\u00admen\u00adtal Nutri\u00adtion Assis\u00adtance Pro\u00adgram. Jo-Ann Staves would help with tutor\u00ading chil\u00addren, teach\u00ading them Eng\u00adlish and the alpha\u00adbet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lavoie-Gonci and Staves said they have formed strong bonds with refugee fam\u00adi\u00adlies. They helped reset\u00adtle one fam\u00adi\u00adly from Syr\u00adia in 2016, and recent\u00adly attend\u00aded their old\u00adest son\u2019s grad\u00adu\u00ada\u00adtion from the Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut in May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Con\u00adgre\u00adga\u00adtion\u00adal Church of Old Lyme, the church part of their com\u00admit\u00adtee, has also helped immi\u00adgrants resist depor\u00adta\u00adtion. In 2018, dur\u00ading the first Trump admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion, Lavoie-Gonci said the church gave sanc\u00adtu\u00adary to a Pak\u00adistani fam\u00adi\u00adly who lived in the base\u00adment of the church for more than six months as they fought to remain in the U.S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their removal was halt\u00aded by the court at the time. But Lavoie-Gonci said she was dev\u00adas\u00adtat\u00aded to learn the fam\u00adi\u00adly chose to self-deport in March 2025 as the sec\u00adond Trump administration\u2019s immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment efforts esca\u00adlat\u00aded.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fam\u00adi\u00adly had been observ\u00ading the increas\u00ading\u00adly dra\u00adcon\u00adian mea\u00adsures used by this cur\u00adrent admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion towards immi\u00adgra\u00adtion mat\u00adters and decid\u00aded they need\u00aded to be proac\u00adtive to exer\u00adcise some sort of con\u00adtrol around how they left the coun\u00adtry,\u201d Lavoie-Gonci said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Decem\u00adber, both she and Staves were work\u00ading to help the preg\u00adnant Hon\u00adduran woman by find\u00ading oth\u00ader orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions that can help her pay for rent, food and util\u00adi\u00adties. Lavoie-Gonci deliv\u00adered food and mon\u00adey to the woman pro\u00advid\u00aded by her and oth\u00ader vol\u00adun\u00adteers.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer life has been turned upside down and she is strug\u00adgling to just fig\u00adure out each day. There are a cou\u00adple of orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions that are try\u00ading to make things hap\u00adpen, but it is tak\u00ading time and effort,\u201d Lavoie-Gonci said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Anna Heqi\u00admiUConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism When Doina Lavoie-Gonci and oth\u00ader vol\u00adun\u00adteers with the Old Lyme Refugee Reset\u00adtle\u00adment Com\u00admit\u00adtee learned about the plight of a preg\u00adnant moth\u00ader of three from Hon\u00adduras whose hus\u00adband had been deport\u00aded, they took action, work\u00ading to iden\u00adti\u00adfy orga\u00adni\u00adza\u00adtions and resources that could help.  The group, which was pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to help\u00ading new refugees set\u00adtle in the area, is among the many [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":976,"featured_media":555,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[79,34,78,36,173],"class_list":["post-507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration","tag-churches","tag-immigration","tag-integrated-refugee-and-immigrant-services","tag-refugees","tag-volunteers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/IMM-REF-SUPPORT-Heqimi-001.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":263,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2025\/10\/24\/suspended-u-s-refugee-program-separates-families-stalls-resettlement\/","url_meta":{"origin":507,"position":0},"title":"Suspended U.S. refugee program separates families, stalls resettlement","author":"Marie K. Shanahan","date":"October 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Natanya Friedheim, Anna Heqimi, Karla Perez,Lauren Cohen, Allison Muzzy and Brooke Holzhauer\u00a0Statehouse Reporting Project\u00a0 Cing Cing Hlamyo, a former refugee from Myanmar, poses for a portrait in her grocery store, Shwe Market International Foods in Columbia, Missouri. Photo by Annie George\/Missourian Last year, Cing Cing Hlamyo and four other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Communities"","block_context":{"text":"Communities","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/communities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/10\/20250930_ShweMarket_Hlamyo-ginger.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":685,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/executive-order-14163-realigning-the-united-states-refugee-admissions-program\/","url_meta":{"origin":507,"position":1},"title":"Executive Order 14163: \u201cRealigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program\u201d ","author":"Karla Perez","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A guide for new immigrants in the United States to help them settle into American life and provide American civics information. Photo courtesy of DHS. This order suspended the Refugee Admissions Program, barring any other refugees from entering the U.S.,\u00a0except\u00a0those who can \u201cfully and appropriately assimilate into the United States.\u201d\u00a0It\u00a0claimed\u00a0that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "executive orders"","block_context":{"text":"executive orders","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/executive-orders\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/IMM-EXEC-ORDER14163.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/IMM-EXEC-ORDER14163.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2026\/01\/IMM-EXEC-ORDER14163.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":512,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/ct-communities-push-back-against-deportations\/","url_meta":{"origin":507,"position":2},"title":"Communities push back against deportations","author":"Anna Heqimi","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"By Anna HeqimiUConn Journalism Knocking on doors in an immigrant neighborhood\u00a0on a recent fall afternoon,\u00a0Selize\u00a0Mendes\u00a0was\u00a0on a mission to\u00a0inform residents\u00a0about\u00a0their constitutional rights.\u00a0 Selize Mendes places an informational packet provided by Danbury Unites for Immigrants near a neighbor's door on Nov. 8, 2025. 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Photo courtesy of DHS. President Donald Trump signed\u00a0more than two\u00a0dozen\u00a0executive orders on\u00a0Jan. 20, 2025,\u00a0his first day back in the White House. 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