This story is part of CT Mirror Explains, an ongoing effort to distill our wide-ranging reporting into a "what you need to know" format and provide practical information to our readers.

The Connecticut legislature recently made changes to the laws governing how local and state officials interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and limiting what ICE agents can do in the state. The revisions to state law were made in response to residents’ concerns about federal immigration policy. Divided along party lines, state Democrats have worked to address immigrants’ assertions that they are living in fear.

Here’s what you need to know about what ICE can do in Connecticut. 

What changes were made in the latest state legislation?

In November’s special session, state lawmakers passed House Bill 8004 which included sections that limit ICE from making arrests at courthouses. The bill prohibits representatives of a local, state or federal law enforcement authority from arresting people inside state courthouses without a judicial warrant. ICE agents are also not allowed to wear masks on courthouse grounds without a medical requirement. 

There are also measures to protect immigrants’ personal information. State agencies are not allowed to share personal information such as dates and times of court hearings and appointments, home addresses, and workplaces. 

Gov. Ned Lamont signed the bill into law shortly after the special session.

Can Connecticut law enforcement turn immigrants over to ICE?

In 2019, Connecticut lawmakers passed the Trust Act, which specified the grounds on which local and state officials are allowed to turn over unauthorized migrants to ICE. The Act prohibits state law enforcement from arresting individuals solely on the basis of detainers — requests from ICE to hold someone for up to 48 hours so agents can then pick them up. 

Law enforcement officers may comply with detainers only if ICE has a judicial warrant to make an arrest, or if the individual in their custody has been convicted of a class A or B felony, or identified on a terrorist watch list. Class A or B felonies include murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, and first-degree manslaughter. 

The Trust Act was modified in May of this year. Now, individuals can sue cities and towns if the Act is violated. Further, the circumstances under which law enforcement must comply with ICE requests for detainment were expanded to include 13 more crimes and broaden who is considered a law enforcement official. 

What happens when ICE makes an arrest?

While the recent laws intended to make courthouses safer for immigrants in Connecticut, ICE agents can still make arrests in other public areas without a warrant if they have a reasonable suspicion to believe that the individual they are targeting is an unauthorized migrant, as per the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Further, aside from courthouse grounds, there are no laws requiring ICE agents to show their face, or prohibiting masks. This means that ICE agents may still approach an individual in a mask and make an arrest, without a warrant.

How does the state recommend state agencies respond to ICE visits?

In a document from Lamont’s office issued in January, the state provides guidance on how state agencies should handle visits from ICE to comply with state and federal laws while also protecting individuals’ privacy rights. 

The guide instructs state officials to request information on why the ICE agent is making a visit, notify legal counsel, and refrain from sharing any personal information or documents such as immigration status until a legal counsel reviews the request. 

ICE also has limited access to non-public areas. They are prohibited from accessing non-public areas of a state agency building without a judicial warrant. But there is no legislation to limit their movements in public premises of an establishment. For example, an ICE agent could make an unwarranted arrest on a sidewalk outside of the state facility.