CT Takes Action to Protect Our Rights
The following is a summary of some of the steps Governor Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and the CT State Legislature have taken to protect the rights of Connecticut citizens and backfill some of the deep cuts in federal funding.
Protecting Immigrant Communities (Trust Act): The state strengthened the Connecticut Trust Act in 2025, which limits cooperation between local/state police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It prohibits state/local agencies from detaining individuals solely on federal requests without a judicial warrant, unless the person has specific felony convictions. It is important to note that the legislation also adds important safeguards by expanding the list of post-conviction Class C and D felonies—such as those related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child exploitation—that allow for cooperation with federal authorities.
Limiting ICE in Courthouses: Recent legislative efforts in 2025–2026 aim to define "courthouse grounds" to prohibit federal agents from arresting people on state property. New proposals also target limiting masked law enforcement interactions in public.
Defending Against Federal Funding Cuts: In anticipation of federal budget cuts, Connecticut set aside a $500 million "Federal Cuts Response Fund" to support health care, food assistance, and housing. Governor Lamont has already allocated millions from this fund to offset federal reductions.
The State of Connecticut will use these funds to make up for federal shortfalls and policy changes that would financially harm hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents in every city and town with the loss of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, which provides low-cost heating fuel over the winter), health care, school meals, child care assistance, and housing assistance.
Protecting National Guard Independence: Attorney General William Tong has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania in filing a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in support of Illinois against what he called “President (Donald) Trump’s unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic deployment of the National Guard without approval from the state’s governor.”
Legal Action Against Federal Overreach: Attorney General William Tong has filed over 40 lawsuits against the federal government, including a successful suit to protect federal funding for emergency services and another challenging a directive to share SNAP data with the federal government. Tong also secured court orders protecting over $3 million for K-12 mental health and $400M in federal education funding against federal threats to withhold money over diversity initiatives, and has aggressively defended Connecticut's post-Sandy Hook gun safety laws against out-of-state lobby challenges.
Additionally, the state successfully blocked a federal move to halt wind energy projects that were well underway.
Reproductive and Health Privacy: Connecticut has strengthened "shield laws" to protect residents and providers from out-of-state or federal actions regarding reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care.