08/30/2026
Why as a union do we advocate for the undocumented community?
When ICE comes to a community, the impact follows students into our classrooms.
Today’s CT Mirror tells the story of Edel Hernandez Cervantes, a Danbury resident and CT State Community College student studying to become a physical therapist.
Edel was getting ready for school when his father called. His uncle had been detained during an ICE operation and, after an encounter in which an agent used a Taser, was taken to the hospital.
Instead of being able to focus on classes and his future, Edel spent the day trying to find his uncle, get information from the hospital and locate medical records that might help his family. By 11 p.m., he had barely eaten.
Edel was born in the United States.
His story is an important reminder that immigration enforcement does not affect only the person who is detained. It reaches their children, nieces and nephews, spouses, coworkers—and our students.
Community college students already balance classes with jobs, caregiving, transportation, finances and countless other responsibilities. Now some are also wondering whether a parent will be there when they get home, whether a family member is safe, whether they should go to work, or what will happen to their family tomorrow.
Faculty and staff cannot separate students from the lives they bring through our doors.
Our students deserve to be able to come to campus focused on learning, building careers and creating better futures, not carrying the fear that their families could be torn apart while they are sitting in class.
This is happening in the communities we serve. And that makes it a community college issue, too.
📖 Read the full story from CT Mirror: “In Danbury, some are hiding from ICE. Others are following them.” https://ctmirror.org/2026/08/30/in-danbury-some-are-hiding-from-ice-others-are-following-them/
