Over the past year, members of Danbury Unites for Immigrants have prepared for the kind of worst-case scenario that played out last week.
Laura Tillman
Laura Tillman is CT Mirror’s Human Services Reporter. She shares responsibility for covering housing, child protection, mental health and addiction, developmental disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. Laura began her career in journalism at the Brownsville Herald in 2007, covering the U.S.–Mexico border, and worked as a statehouse reporter for the Associated Press in Mississippi. She was most recently a producer of the national security podcast “In the Room with Peter Bergen” and is the author of two nonfiction books: The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts (2016) and The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo Garcia (2023), which was just awarded the 2024 James Beard Award for literary writing. Her freelance work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Laura holds a degree in International Studies from Vassar College and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Goucher College.
Posted inImmigration
Danbury residents express fear, anger as ICE arrests escalate
Activists in Danbury shouted at CT officials Wednesday as emotions ran high over dozens of arrests by ICE in the city each day this week.
Posted inJustice
Bethany families tell of Mastrangelo’s betrayal on day of sentencing
Anthony Mastrangelo will spend 4 years in prison for sexually abusing girls at a town-run camp in Bethany, the result of a plea deal.
Posted inHuman Services
DCF changes detailed in response to CT child advocate concerns
DCF is hiring support staff and building up the foster family network, but disagreed with OCA on how to address girls’ behavioral healthcare needs.
Posted inHuman Services
Lost SNAP? What to know about CT grocery card benefit
Some Connecticut residents who have recently lost SNAP assistance can now qualify for $300 in grocery store gift cards. Here’s what to know.
Posted inHuman Services
After losing SNAP benefits, some CT refugees are struggling to afford food
An estimated 1,745 refugees and asylum seekers are expected to lose SNAP in Connecticut, a DSS spokesperson said.
Posted inHuman Services
DeLauro: CT providers’ federal grants represent “amazing victory”
Two CT providers have received $1.2M months after $2B in federal grants were canceled then reinstated a day later after a national outcry.
Posted inHealth
Loss of Haitian workers will impact CT healthcare, officials say
One CT official said patient health could be impacted by the loss of Haitian workers in an industry already struggling to find staff.
Posted inCrossing Connecticut
How a CT filmmaker’s first feature won at Sundance
Filmmaker Rashad Frett won an award for Best Directing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival for the film “Ricky,” which is based in Hartford.
Posted inHuman Services
UConn study highlights CT families’ childcare struggles
More than half of families found childcare expensive. And towns in CT’s northeast corner and lower Fairfield County struggled most for spots.
Posted inHuman Services
Workers at CT children psych facility raise concerns about safety, outcomes
Union leadership said 66 of the roughly 300 workers at the Solnit South facility are now recovering from injuries.
Posted inHuman Services
DCF data reveals new details about child deaths
New DCF data add dimension to an emerging portrait of an agency struggling to meet the needs of the state’s most vulnerable children.
Posted inHuman Services
New program helps youth in DCF care open their first bank accounts
Liberty Bank created the program for teens in DCF care, allowing them to open and access accounts without the cosign of a parent or guardian.
Posted inImmigration
Supreme Court ends protective status for thousands of CT Haitians
The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday ended Temporary Protected Status for 1.3 million immigrants, leaving Haitian communities across CT reeling.
Posted inImmigration
New Haven mother sues federal government over ICE detainment
Nancy Martinez claims ICE agents handcuffed her and took her away without showing a warrant, leaving her children behind.