Inside Voices Community Conversations: Protecting Kids in an Age of ICE Raids

The real story of immigration enforcement isn’t in the numbers or the politics, but lies in the human cost paid by children, caregivers, and families when ICE shows up without warning. In this episode of Inside Voices, we sit down with ACLU of Connecticut’s Legal Director Dan Barrett to address how immigration enforcement is reshaping daily life for families in child care programs, schools, and local workplaces. We look at the state’s new guidance, the recent cases shaking Connecticut and Chicago, and the terrifying first 48 hours after a detention when kids are left waiting, parents scramble for answers, and legal protections are put to the test. Dan explains what “sanctuary” actually offers, where the gaps are, and what families and providers can do right now to stay prepared.