State toolkit offers resources for families concerned about ICE raids

Hartford — In the wake of plans for raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Gov. Ned Lamont on Friday encouraged families to take advantage of a user-friendly toolkit that offers a guide for parents who may need a plan to keep their children safe if they are detained or deported.

The Family Preparedness Plan is available in nine languages and provides parents a step-by-step guide to develop a child care plan on their own without an attorney, the governor’s office said in a news release Friday. The toolkit, which includes important forms and documents that families can fill out and store in a safe place, also highlights where families can find immigration legal assistance and guidance on avoiding immigration scams.

There is no cost to complete any of the forms in the toolkit, which can be downloaded at bit.ly/CTFtoolkit and has been electronically distributed to town governments, school districts, libraries, legal service organizations and the United Way 211.

“For many families right now, the fear of separation and detainment is tangible and all too real,” Lamont said in a statement. “Many children involved in these situations are United States citizens themselves. We want to ensure that parents know they have the ability to designate a standby guardian to prevent their children from being placed in state care in the event they become separated.”