Vecinos Seguros/Safe Neighbors 2 (VS2), a grass-roots nonprofit in Litchfield County, Conn., is responding to the needs of local immigrant families impacted by I.C.E. policies under the Trump administration.
In practice, this response takes many forms, all rooted in meeting urgent, real-life needs. As a touchpoint for information and resources for immigrants, VS2 is an ally, community educator and trusted liaison. They also provide direct cash assistance for basic needs and legal fees to individuals navigating complex court processes.
Behind these efforts is a small but deeply committed leadership team. VS2 is powered by a steering committee of five, with Jill Drew as its Director. The committee was formed in response to the “unconscionable” policies enacted on their immigrant neighbors, Drew says, following the 2024 presidential election. Comprised of John Carter, Amy Lake, Sophia and Lee deBoer, and Drew, they resolved to be “a link in the chain of support for immigrants, regardless of their legal status.”
With this mission in mind, the committee quickly began looking for ways to broaden its reach. To be successful in assisting the greatest number of people, the committee recognized a need, and an opportunity, for greater connection across cultures and within the broader community.
That vision has translated into a wide range of practical, community-based initiatives. By using a variety of tools, VS2 strengthens the Northwest’s Corner’s collective ability to be informed and responsive to challenges immigrants face. VS2 has hosted “Know Your Rights” trainings, participated in rapid response workshops, and hired a part-time bilingual community liaison. They have also distributed bilingual resource cards to local food pantries, churches, farms, and healthcare and hospitality settings. In addition, they’ve established an emergency help line operated by trained volunteers.
This work builds on a foundation that has been evolving for years. VS2’s home base is Trinity Lime Rock Church, the launching pad for the first incarnation of Vecinos Seguros. The immigrant-serving program grew alongside a Spanish-language (mass) conducted by Reverend John Carter during the first Trump administration. During Biden’s presidency, Carter retired, and the need was not as great for local immigrant families. As a result, the program went into dormancy. In 2024, Drew met Carter and was motivated to reboot the program as Vecinos Seguros 2. Carter agreed to serve on the steering committee.
Today, the renewed need for VS2’s work is impossible to ignore.
Drew says that while Northwest Litchfield County has not experienced the violent, high-profile I.C.E. raids faced by some other communities, I.C.E. policies, “in a quieter way” have had a profound effect on local families. Immigrants have received orders of removal, which prompt complex, stressful, and costly legal processes. In other cases, people have been detained or deported. The current federal policies, Drew says, are “designed to break up families, deport people, and ask questions later. We're trying to be the sand in those gears.” By providing resources to immigrants, she says, I.C.E. policies are “not all being done in the dark, with no help.”
As a result, VS2’s efforts are already making a tangible difference. To date, VS2 has provided financial assistance to twelve families, and provided gift grocery cards to 24. They have connected four individuals to legal help and are actively assisting in three cases.
Each person’s situation has unique challenges and potential consequences. This year, VS2 helped a local pregnant mother who was unable to work due to a high-risk pregnancy. Nearing her due date, her husband was deported. VS2 was able to relieve one source of stress with cash assistance for rent. In another case, VS2 provided court accompaniment for a local immigrant seeking to remain in the country.
As crucial as direct cash assistance and legal support are, meeting urgent needs is only part of a much larger challenge. VS2 recognizes that individuals and families will still face long, complex struggles. I.C.E. policies have created layers of trauma within the community, Drew says, often generational. “There’s been a lot of fear,” she says. “Things have changed in people’s lives in a fundamental way.”
Recognizing these lasting effects, VS2 is also supporting plans being developed by regional educators to help local immigrant youth process their experiences, by providing counseling to address the current fears and longer-term emotional effects of I.C.E. policies on area families.
To further their impact and foster lasting change, VS2 collaborates with regional nonprofits outside of its immediate network. They partner with Northeast Community Center in Millerton, Millerton Neighbors Group, BASIC (Massachusetts), Danbury Unites for Immigrants and Reunite Migrant Families in Poughkeepsie. They coordinate with two statewide groups, The CT Immigrant Support Network and Hands Off CT, for education and volunteer training. In addition, they've hosted immigration lawyer Glenn Formica and William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut, to speak on legal protections for immigrants, including the state law, The Connecticut Trust Act.
Amid this wide-ranging work, VS2 remains grounded in a simple but powerful commitment. “We support you. You are our neighbors,” Drew says.
To help sustain their mission, VS2 is hosting Hotchkiss School alum Sam Lardner for a benefit concert. "Sam Lardner and Barcelona in Concert" will take place on July 24th at the Salisbury Congregational Church in Connecticut, with tickets available on a sliding scale.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation's Immigrant Support Funds
Investing in Dignity, Equity, and Belonging Across Our Region
Vecinos Seguros 2 is the first grantee of BTCF’s Immigrant Support Fund for Northwest Litchfield County. Immigrant Support Funds have been established for each of the four counties we serve (Berkshire, Columbia, Northwest Litchfield and Northeast Dutchess). They invest in programs that meet essential needs and create pathways to stability and opportunity for our immigrant neighbors.
