Immigration Drives Growth, Vibrancy of New Haven Region, Study Finds

If Greater New Haven is thriving, the region’s rapidly-growing immigrant population is a key reason, according to a new research study. The report, entitled Understanding the Impact of Immigration in Greater New Haven, compiles data from federal, state and local government agencies, as well as information generated locally by DataHaven and The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. Viewed as “an important step in its effort to enhance the civic and economic participation of immigrants in Greater New Haven,” the report was undertaken to provide a snapshot of the immigrants living in Greater New Haven and Connecticut, the impact of local population change and diversity, and the community and economic impact. It is intended to help the general public, policymakers and local leaders understand the impact of immigration in the region to inform discussions and community action.

According to the report:

• Approximately 1 in 8 residents of Greater New Haven is foreign-born, originating in countries in all the world’s regions.
• While the native-born population in Greater New Haven has barely increased since 2000, immigrants settling in the area have caused rapid population growth, making New Haven the fastest-growing city in Connecticut over this period
• About half of all immigrants are naturalized US citizens; the other half are legal permanent residents, legal temporary residents or undocumented immigrants.
• Greater New Haven is attracting immigrants from a wide range of countries, with the greatest increases in numerical terms between 2000-2012 attributable to immigration from Mexico (3,168), India (2,729), China (2,292), Jamaica (1,532) and Ecuador (1,382).This report explores how immigration impacts the development of both Greater New Haven and Connecticut.

“It is clear from the report that the Greater New Haven community is enhanced in many ways by immigration,” says William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “The data demonstrate that our rapidly growing foreign-born population is successfully building productive and contributing lives here – by working, by creating small businesses that build wealth, by owning homes, by educating their children, and by contributing to the diversity and cultural richness of this community.”

The report also cites data indicating that the immigrant population in Greater New Haven is highly-skilled, compared to other areas. Among immigrants in this region, there are more than twice as many high-skilled workers as low-skilled workers in the region, while data for the United States as a whole show slightly less than one high-skilled worker for every low-skilled worker.

From 2000 to 2012, Greater New Haven’s population as a whole increased by more than 27,000 people, according to the report. Of that growth, about 75 percent (20,165) were foreign-born residents. About half of immigrants in Greater New Haven are naturalized citizens.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven explored local public opinion on immigration by interviewing key stakeholders and administering an online survey to its constituents. The survey found that “although immigration is a complex issue, the Greater New Haven community widely agrees that foreign-born people contribute to the economic, cultural, and social well-being of the region.”  Nearly all (97 percent) respondents said that the issue of immigration is very or somewhat important to Connecticut.  Only 31 percent of respondents thought they understood immigration policy extremely or fairly well.

In New Haven’s neighborhoods in particular, the boost in immigrants has revitalized communities and spurred new businesses.  From 1970 to 1990, the foreign-born population in most New Haven neighborhoods remained flat or declined, and these neighborhoods suffered from overall population decline—similar to other central city neighborhoods in post-industrial cities. Since 1990, the report found, the foreign-born population in many city neighborhoods has rebounded sharply, particularly in areas such as Edgewood, West River, Fair Haven, and the Hill. These areas have seen a large influx of population and business overall.

Statewide, among Connecticut’s immigrant population entering the US since 2000, only 15 percent are Europeans. 29 percent were born in Asia, and 19 percent come from South America. By contrast, 78 percent of Connecticut’s immigrant population that entered the US before 1960 was born in Europe.

The report was compiled and written by Mary Buchanan and Mark Abraham of DataHaven, with assistance from staff at The Community Foundation.

In 2015, The Community Foundation’s work will include dedicated grantmaking and other support for nonprofits working in this area, including support for advocacy efforts on State and Federal immigration policy, efforts to identify and support emerging leaders in the immigrant community, and public education and other efforts to enhance the community’s understanding of the social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration for Greater New Haven.

“New Haven has always been a welcoming community, and the surge of immigration in recent years shows us yet again how important immigration is to the growth and success of our community,” Ginsberg added.The Community Foundation is making immigrant integration a strategic focus with the goal that immigrants in Greater New Haven, including undocumented, will achieve greater civic and economic participation and success thereby becoming more fully integrated members of a more welcoming community, the report indicates.

More information on the Foundation’s philanthropy is available at www.giveGreater.org. The report is available online at www.cfgnh.org/immigrationreport  or by calling The Community Foundation at 203-777-2386.

Will Blizzard of '78 Be Repeated in 2015?

Is Connecticut in for another Blizzard of ’78?  For those old enough to remember, there has been nothing like it since.  The blizzard shut down the state of Connecticut and much of New England - roads, businesses, schools, just about everything.  The legendary storm is not only vivid in memories - it has been the subject of a documentary on Connecticut Public Television, and has its own website, Blizzardof78.org, the work of amateur historian Matt Bowling. The website recalls that “in Connecticut, Governor Ella Grasso was trying to drive from the Governor’s Mansion to the state storm center in downtown Hartford.   She didn’t quite make it.  Forced to abandon her car and walk the remaining blocks to the state armory, Grasso was not slow in taking the storm seriously.  Thanks to (Massachusetts Governor Michael) Dukakis and Grasso, both state and National Guard troops would soon be on their way.”

Recalled former WTNH-TV newscaster Kenn Venit, “By Monday afternoon if you weren't home, you weren't going home." More than two feet blanketed the state, with drifts as much as eight times that height.

Gov. Grasso shut down the state for three days (including the interstate highways), and President Jimmy Carter declared Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts federal disaster areas, recalled The Hartford Courant in a retrospective published a year ago.   A contingent of 547 soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, flew in to help National Guard crews clean up the mess and help the region slowly re-start daily routines that had been abruptly halted.

Snow fell at a rate of 4 inches an hour at times during the storm, which lasted for 36 hours, according to published reports. The unusual duration of the 1978 Nor’easter was caused by a Canadian high pressure system, which forced the storm to loop east and then back toward the north. Thunder, lightning and hail was seen in the blizzard as it blanketed the Northeast with over three feet of snow, and the shoreline was battered by high tides and hurricane force winds.

Two years ago, in early February 2013, a sizable blizzard rolled into New England which threatened to usurp the Blizzard of '78's place in the recent record books.  Despite heavy, sustained snowfall,  it didn't.

 Videos from CPTV and NBC News (with reports from John Chancellor, David Brinkley, Brian Ross and Robert Hager) highlight the Blizzard of  '78 in Connecticut.

http://youtu.be/ZDEl_kZw9EE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPdcFbbpaD4

Year of Volleyball Underway; First Tournament in the Books

More than 2,000 female volleyball players from across the Northeast spent the holiday weekend in Hartford for the New England Region Volleyball Association’s 2015 Mizuno New England Winterfest Volleyball Tournament, held at the Connecticut Convention Center.  The event, which started in Hartford six years ago, has steadily grown in popularity, and will be returning for at least the next two years. Tournament organizers, the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB), and the Connecticut Convention Bureau said the three-day event brought in close to 10,000 visitors over the long weekend including approximately 2,000 players, 250 coaches, 100 officials and volunteer tournament staff, and thousands of family members and fans – and tremendous enthusiasm.

There were 25 volleyball courts arrayed on the Convention Center floor, with 12 matches per court every day, simultaneously, each lasting no more than one hour.  Five years ago, the tournament was launched with 18 courts in continuous operation.

“The Mizuno New England Winterfest is designed to showcase female volleyball players – ages 12 to 18 – to college coaches and recruiters from throughout the Northeast,” explains Tournament Chair Alex Temkin. “The Northeast has one of the largest concentrations of Collegiate Division II and Division III schools in the country, and there are many Division I schools here as well.”

“We are excited to welcome back this successful tournament, one that is projected to generate over $3.3 million in revenue for the Greater Hartford region,” said H. Scott Phelps, Interim President of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB), prior to the tournament. Phelps reports an estimated 885 jobs in the hospitality industry will be supported by this tournament, and $270,500 in Connecticut Sales Tax will be generated.

Where's UConn?

”Having more than 800 matches in a single location encourages college recruitment decision-makers to come and scout as many players as possible.” Temkin said.  On Friday evening, a College Showcase was held to showcase athletes for college coaches and recruiters, as well as a College Recruiting Seminar for parents of volleyball players.

Approximately 38 colleges had coaches on hand, watching the talent.  Surprisingly absent:  the University of Connecticut.  Among the coaches on hand from local colleges were representatives of University of Hartford, University of Saint Joseph, and Sacred Heart University.  By Saturday morning, a number of institutions with volleyball teams still had materials on hand touting their programs, aimed at prospective college applicants.  None of the material was from a Connecticut school.

Temkin notes that volleyball teams’ interest in registration for Winterfest was so great this year – 25 percent more than in 2014 – that organizers established a smaller, independent volleyball tournament called the “Husky Sweet 16” to accommodate the additional athletes. That competition was held at a facility in Windsor.

More in May

There’s more volleyball to come later this year at the Connecticut Convention Center.  Building on the success of the Winterfest tournament, the New England Region Volleyball Association (NERVA) will bring its first-ever Northeast Junior Championships to Hartford over Memorial Day weekend.

The tournament, featuring junior girls and boys teams from throughout the Northeast, is expected to bring nearly 200 teams, more than 2,000 players, 400 coaches, 75 officials and volunteer tournament staff, and 3,500 family members and fans downtown, from Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25, 2015. 

NERVA has committed to holding the event at the venue for the next three years, through at least 2017, with over 3,000 overnight rooms and 1,100 rooms anticipated for the new annual event.

“We have always valued our partnership with the Connecticut Convention Center and the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau,” states David Peixoto, NERVA Commissioner. “Our partnership has grown to develop Winterfest as the premier volleyball tournament in the Northeast. We look forward to making the Northeast Junior Championship just as successful.”

The new four-day event does not require teams to qualify to participate. While it will serve as a season-ending tournament for some, the event will allow for additional preparation to teams continuing on to nationals. Participants are 12-18 years old, as NERVA follows USA Volleyball age guidelines.

“Downtown Hartford is a great location for our sports event and the city and region really make our players and fans feel welcome,” added Temkin. “Restaurants extend their hours and customize the menus, the Dash shuttle bus that circulates Downtown adds hours of operation, and everyone does their best to accommodate our group.”

The New England Region is one of many Regions in the United States that aid in the governing of the sport of volleyball. Regional Volleyball Associations (RVAs) are member organizations of USA Volleyball (USAV). The RVAs serve as the grassroots function for the USAV and individually and collectively serve as a catalyst for USAV functions.

Volleyball footnote:  While many know that the sport of  basketball was invented in Springfield, MA; fewer are aware that volleyball was also invented in nearby Massachusetts, in Holyoke.  That’s where the National Volleyball Hall of Fame is located.

13 Connecticut Mayors Head to D.C. for National Conference

When 300 of the nation’s Mayors convene in Washington for a three-day conference beginning on Wednesday, a baker’s dozen from Connecticut will be among them.  Thirteen chief elected officials from Connecticut comunities, including two who serve as co-chairs of key committees, will be participating in the 83^rd Winter Meetings of the National Conference of Mayors.  The organization convenes on the heels of President Obama’s State of the Union Address, just as the new Congressional session gets underway.  The Mayors will engage with Administration officials, Congressional leaders business leaders to “ensure the health and economic recovery of America’s cities,” according to program organizers. Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to address the Mayors on Thursday.

Attending from Connecticut are Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, Bristol Mayor Ken Cockayne, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp, Norwich Mayor Deberey Hinchey, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, Stamford Mayor David Martin, Stratford Mayor John Harkins, Trumbull First Selectman Timothy Herbst and Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary.

On Wednesday, the Mayors’ Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force, which is co-chaired by Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch will meet.  The panel is co-chaired by the Mayor of Carmel, Indiana.  The session will include a discussion of recommendations of the President’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience.

On Thursday, the Immigration Reform Task Force, which is co-chaired by Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra and Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait will gather to hear from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson.

Topping the agenda, according to officials are community policing, the economy, innovation & transportation.   The Mayors will head to the White House on Friday afternoon, concluding the conference.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1400 such cities in the country today.

Eight Communities to Receive Funds to Support Downtown Improvement Initiatives

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC), the downtown revitalization and economic development non-profit, is awarding eight organizations and municipalities a total of $80,000 in 2015 Preservation of Place grants.  The grants will be used to provide Bridgeport, Canton, Hartford, New Milford, Newtown, Putnam, Torrington, and Windsor Locks with targeted resources to increase their capacity to plan for preservation and revitalization initiatives in their downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. The Preservation of Place grant program provides a source of funding for new initiatives that can be integrated into, and leverage, comprehensive Main Street preservation and revitalization programs.  The funds are meant to be flexible to meet individual community need.

The 2015 recipients of Preservation of Place Grant funds are:

• Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District for a feasibility study of the creation of a regional food hub and community supported agriculture in downtown Bridgeport
• Town of Canton for a comprehensive market study and brand strategy for Collinsville
• Hartford Business Improvement District for the creation of a community vision plan for a six block area of the Asylum Hill neighborhood
• Town of New Milford for a historic downtown New Milford branding & marketing program
• Town of Newtown for the Sandy Hook Village Signage & Wayfinding Design Plan
• Town of Putnam for Downtown Putnam design guidelines & standards
• City of Torrington for a Downtown Torrington market study & branding/imaging program
• Town of Windsor Locks for the historic train station reuse study

"Historic preservation and the revitalization of our Main Streets create jobs, bring vacant buildings back on the tax rolls and add value and vitality to adjacent buildings and neighborhoods," said John Simone, CMSC President & CEO.

"The diversity of locations, from the Northwest Corner of Connecticut to New London, matched with the diversity of projects, from creative placemaking in urban open spaces to organizational and leadership development that will improve the management function in downtown, will allow each community to respond to their greatest current need, actively creating their direction of growth," he added.

Since 2008, CMSC has awarded $446,130 through the Preservation of Place grant program to twenty four Connecticut communities, leveraging over $1 million in local Main Street initiatives.  The program receives support from the State Historic Preservation Office with funds from the Community Investment Act. A year ago, a total of $70,000 in grants were awarded to Bridgeport, Canton, Essex, New London, Norwalk, the Northwest corner, and Willimantic.

The mission of Connecticut Main Street Center is to be the champion and leading resource for vibrant and sustainable Main Streets as foundations for healthy communities. CMSC is dedicated to community and economic development within the context of historic preservation, and is committed to bringing Connecticut's commercial districts back to life, socially and economically.

40 Years Ago, Transportation and Fiscal Austerity Highlighted Inauguration Day

On  inauguration day, Connecticut’s incoming Governor would be “commuting by train to the Capitol for the inauguration to dramatize the need for more mass transit,” local news media reported. The Governor-elect was Ella Grasso, and the year was 1975.  She took the train from her hometown of Windsor Locks into Hartford.

Four decades later, transportation will once again be center-stage on inauguration day, as Governor Dannel Malloy has indicated in the weeks prior to taking the oath of office for a second time that transportation will be a leading issue of his second term. 

The Wall Street Journal has reported that a White House economic analysis from July 2014 found that 41 percent of the state’s roads were in poor condition, noting that Connecticut was tied with Rhode Island with the highest percentage of poor roads.  The state is also in the midst of improving the New Haven - Springfield rail corridor, poised to launch a revitalized "Hartford line."

Grasso, according to news reports of the day, also took the opportunity “to emphasize the need for fiscal authority in the face of projected money problems for the state.”

Dollars and sense were also central to the first inaugural address of Governor William A. O’Neill on January 7, 1981.

Published reports indicated “that he favored cutting spending rather than increasing taxes to eliminate a deficit in this year's budget. But he said that balancing spending with existing revenues would be even harder for the fiscal year beginning July 1.”

Speaking before a joint session of the State House of Representatives and Senate, The New York Times reported that Mr. O'Neill said: ''Government at all levels faces increasingly tough decisions, finding itself forced to do more with less. It seems we have only one choice: Curb spending and control taxation.''

O’Neill, who had succeeded to the office just a week earlier upon Grasso’s resignation due to ill health, said 'To maintain a budget balance, we can raise taxes or cut spending even further,'' he said. ''I do not want to raise taxes.''

Later in his term, O’Neill would respond to the collapse of the Mianus River Bridge on I-95 in Greenwich on June 28, 1983, which exposed a poor record of road and bridge maintenance in the state, with creation of a Special Transportation Fund to set aside money to maintain and repair the state's bridges.

That same year, the legislature agreed to eliminate tolls from Connecticut roads, in part due to a horrific accident in January at the Stratford toll station that killed seven people and galvanized public opinion.  The state had collected tolls at 14 locations - eight on the Connecticut Turnpike between Greenwich and Plainfield, three on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways, and at three bridges in the Hartford area. The tollbooths generated $66 million a year, The New York Times reported that year.

On January 9, 1991, former U.S. Senator and newly elected Governor Lowell P. Weicker said in his inaugural address that “The people of Connecticut have sent us here to do the right thing: to face up squarely to the facts of a state in fiscal trouble.'' Describing the state as ''rudderless,'' he said ''A deficit has taken control of our lives, coloring all else as it climbs beyond comprehension, sapping our confidence, humbling our visions. The past is not worth the best of our courage and creativity. That belongs to the future. 'So let's get this deficit business done, and fast.''

Although he did not propose it on day one, he would soon recommend imposition of a state income tax in Connecticut, which was approved in August 1991 by a reluctant state legislature and signed into law.  Just a few weeks later, Gov. Weicker signed legislation increasing transportation fees by $6 million, clearing the way for dozens of stalled road and bridge projects.  The New York Times reported that the $6 million” will raise the state transportation fund to $63 million” and “insure enough money to pay for road projects for the next six years.”

As Latino Population Increases, Schools See More English Language Learners

A snapshot of America in 2044, based on U.S. Census Bureau data and current trends, will show this:  a nation with a youthful, growing minority population juxtaposed against an aging, slow-growing and soon to be declining white population. New population projections show whites will become a minority by 2044, according to published reports. The new projections from U.S. Census Bureau figures shows two trends for America's population -- a long-term decline for the nation's white population, making up just 49.7 percent of the population by 2044, and a growth of new minorities -- Asians, Latinos and multiracial persons. The populations among the rapidly-growing Latinos, Asians and multiracial populations are all expected to double in size over the next 30 years. Specifically, the rise of Latinos is projected to make up 25.1 percent of the U.S. population in 2044, doubling African-Americans, according to the data projections reported in the Latino Post.  By 2027, more than half of America's 20-somethings will be racial minorities, and in the 2028 presidential election, 40 percent of all eligible voters will be racial minorities.

In Connecticut, the demographic shift is underway.  The Hispanic percentage of the statewide population in 2013 stood at 14.7 percent, steadily climbing during the past decade.  The Hispanic percentage of statewide population under age 18 in 2013: 22 percent.

When the website ctlatinonews.com selected five “Young Latinos to Watch” this month, two of the five were newly elected legislators.  Aundré Bumgardner was a surprise winner on Election Day.  The Republican, whose family is from Panama and Puerto Rico, will be the youngest State Representative in Connecticut’s legislature.  The 20 year-old won his party’s nomination to run for the state House from the 41st District, which covers Groton and New London.  Rep.-elect Christopher Rosario may be new to the state’s legislature, but he is not new to advocacy, politics  and working on behalf of the Latino community. He will represent his hometown of Bridgeport in the state legislature from the 128th District.   He has been Bridgeport’s youngest department head as Director of Anti-Blight under the Office of Neighborhood Revitalization.

Recent news reports highlight one of the issues that the legislature will be grappling with.  An analysis by CT Mirror found that during the 2013-14 school year, Hartford Public Schools had the most English Language Learner (ELL) students, with 3,550, but Windham had the highest percentage of ELL students at 23.8 percent.  The largest percentage increases in ELL students, between 2001 and last year, came in Windham (11.8% increase), Danbury (up 9.4%), Norwich (up 9.1%), and New London and West Haven (both up 7.4%).

The increasing number of ELL students in Connecticut is reflected in the current top 20 communities, according to the CT Mirror data, compiled from the State Department of Education:

1. Hartford 3,550
2. New Haven 2,709
3. Bridgeport 2,685
4. Danbury 2,204
5. Waterbury 2,114
6. Stamford 1,870
7. New Britain 1,659
8. Norwalk 1,277
9. Meriden 1,011
10. Windham 774
11. West Haven 678
12. East Hartford 606
13. New London 588
14. West Hartford 490
15. Greenwich 486
16. Norwich 465
17. Manchester 351
18. Torrington 334
19. Bristol 317
20. Wallingford 275

The top twelve municipalities with ELL students, by percentage of their student population:

1. Windham 23.8%
2. Danbury 20.4%
3. New London 19.2%
4. Hartford 16.7%
5. New Britain 16.5%
6. Bridgeport 12.9%
7. New Haven 12.7%
8. Meriden 12.5%
9. Norwich 12.4%
10. Stamford 11.8%
11. Norwalk 11.5%
12. West Haven 11.4%
13. Waterbury 11.4%

The legislature's Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC) is hosting this public policy forum on English Language Learners (ELL) and bilingual education in Connecticut on Tuesday, January 13, at the State Capitol in Hartford.  It will feature classroom teachers, business, professors, and legislators discussing the status of ELL/bilingual education and how to improve outcomes for Connecticut’s non-English speaking children.

Pediatric I.V. Backpack Invented by 11-Year-Old Passes Another Milestone

Eleven-year-old Kylie Simonds of Naugatuck sought to raise $50,000 to manufacture a working prototype of the pediatric chemo back-pack she invented.  In just five months, she has.  Her gofundme campaign, which began on July 22, now stands at $53, 134. Kylie is a cancer survivor, and designed an I.V. backpack for children on chemotherapy, receiving transfusions, or other medical reasons.  Her goal was to improve mobility – to make moving around easier, eliminating the traditional I.V. poles. 

Kylie was challenged to come up with an invention through her school (Cross Street School) and the Connecticut Invention Convention, held annually. More than 130 Connecticut schools participate, creating over 10,000 young inventors each year. Kylie's invention was chosen by her middle school teachers, among others, and she attended the Invention Convention, where over 700 of the top inventions were displayed and many selected for awards and recognition.

Kylie's invention received four awards, including the "Patent Award", the highest award at the convention. The Patent Award has allowed Kylie's invention to be submitted to the US Patent & Trademark Office with the sponsor covering all costs.

Her accomplishment was recently noted in the Bulletin of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and has been featured in news media stories in Connecticut and beyond.  Last month, she was among ten young people (she was the youngest) honored as “women in tech” at the Women of the Year Awards sponsored by Glamour magazine.

With help from her father, Kylie is now doing R&D to make the prototype.  She has found numerous infusion pumps that will suit this idea but the cost for them is thousands of dollars.  For example, the controller device will need to be customized to be mobile and also small enough to fit in a backpack.  Additionally, the backpack will need to be designed to support both the IV infusion pump and the carry rod.

Kylie, the oldest of three children in her family, underwent 46 weeks of chemotherapy and is in remission from rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that affects the soft tissues and connective tissues or bones.

“I used to have to use the IV poles and I always tripped over all the wires,” she said. “It was hard to walk around and I always had to have someone push it for me because I was kind of weak when I was in chemo.”

She hopes to begin production of lines of the backpacks for boys and girls, which will incorporate animal features into the design to make them fun for young children.  Next would be researching designs for a backpack line for teens and young adults.

A total of 1,289 people have donated to her fundraising initiative, which remains active, according to the webpage.  Kylie has indicated that all donations in excess of her $50,000 goal will go towards the manufacturing of the “first usable I.V. backpacks.  EVERY PENNY!”

One Percent of Last Year’s Unaccompanied Children Immigrants End Up in Connecticut

One-in-three (36 percent) of the nearly 54,000 unaccompanied children released to sponsors over the past year after their apprehension by U.S. immigration authorities have been placed in homes in three states – Texas, New York and California, according to Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) data. Connecticut is now home to 570 of the children, about one percent of the total, who have been temporarily resettled between October 2014 and October 2015, according to totals compiled by Pew Research Center using Department of Health and Human Services ORR data. 

Among the New England states, New Hampshire has taken in 35 children, Maine 17, Vermont has 3, Rhode Island 215, and Massachusetts 1,405. The children are placed with sponsors, often relatives, while they wait for their next court appearance in immigration court. These cases can be delayed if asylum is sought, the Pew Research Center report indicated.

Last summer’s surge in the number of children without their parents apprehended at the Southwest border overwhelmed federal resources. Many of the children were making the dangerous journey from Mexico and Central America to the U.S., with sharp increases in apprehensions among children under 12. The issue brought widespread media attention, and strong opposition and support from people throughout the nation, especially in the southwest border states.

At the time, the Connecticut Commission on Children urged Governor Malloy to reverse his denial of a request by the Obama Administration to house children in a state facility.  In a July 21, 2014 letter, Commission Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman wrote:

“Recently, the Obama administration asked the State of Connecticut for assistance in hosting a number of these children within our state while their status is processed by the federal government. While we fully support your decision to not host the children at the Southbury Training Facility, or any other facility ill-equipped to house children safely, we believe that there are state, private, institutional, as well as faith-based resources in Connecticut that could respond well, through your leadership, to the President’s request.”

Since last summer, apprehensions of unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has decreased dramatically, according to published reports, from 10,508 in June alone to 2,529 in October, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data indicates.

Texas took in the highest number of unaccompanied minors, with 7,409 children placed during fiscal year 2014, which ended on Sept. 30, government data showed. New York and California each took in just under 6,000 children. These three states account for more than half (53 percent) of the nation’s Hispanic population.

Nonprofits Across CT Have Economic and Jobs Impact, New Database Shows

The interactive webpage was constructed and database developed prior to Election Day as a means of providing information about nonprofit organizations that their supporters could use to reach out to legislative candidates to advocate for the many charitable organizations in their local districts.  With the winning candidates now determined, the database may prove even more helpful in advocating for nonprofit organizations in what promises to be a tight state budget in 2015. The database, developed by Connecticut-based Blueprint for Impact, is an “advocacy tool” providing a range of data and information, broken down on interactive maps by Senate district and by House district.   Nonprofit organizations provide a wide variety of services throughout local communities, including some supported with state funds.  

Among the categories of data available are the number of employees working in the nonprofit sector along with the total compensation paid to those employees and the payroll taxes paid and total revenue of nonprofits within each district.

In addition, the site reports on the value of grants made by nonprofit organizations, and the average age of the nonprofits operating in each district. The age of each nonprofit is the number of years since the IRS ruling on tax-exempt status was provided. In Connecticut, there are many nonprofits that have been tax exempt for over 50 years. Older organizations may be more influential in their community.

The points on the map were organized by NTEE category. NTEE is the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities, which categorizes nonprofits based on their social purpose.

The mission of Blueprint for Impact is to “help nonprofits use data to rethink, reboot, and scale their social impact. We direct our impact into each of those three aspects.”  Christopher D. Brechlin  is the Founder of Blueprint for Impact, a registered Benefit Corporation based in Hartford, that offers a collection of data tools, services, and expertise specifically for nonprofits.

The data used to populate the maps was accessed using the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) Enhanced Extract of IRS Financial Data, 2013. NCCS allows users to download data processed by the IRS during calendar year 2013 as submitted on forms 990, 990EZ, and 990PF. All data is therefore “as is,” or as it was reported on the forms to the IRS.