Immigration to Connecticut
The increase in Connecticut’s foreign-born population during the 1990s accounted for 77 percent of the state’s overall population increase during the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2000, Connecticut gained 91,000 immigrants, bringing the total number of foreign-born residents in the state to almost 370,000, an increase of 32 percent. Foreign-born residents now account for 11 percent of the total state population. In Stamford and Danbury, more than one of every four residents is an immigrant, while in Norwalk and Greenwich, about one in five residents is an immigrant. Approximately 806,000 people in Connecticut are immigrants or the children of immigrants. This figure is 24 percent of the state’s population, slightly above the national average of 20 percent.

Illegal Immigration to Connecticut
In August of 2007, New Haven Connecticut became the first U.S. city to issue identification cards to illegal immigrants. More than 100 people lined up outside City Hall to receive these widely debated cards. The issuance of identification cards to undocumented immigrants comes in the midst of heated immigration debates. The cards, which are being offered to all of New Haven's 125,000 residents—including some 10,000 to 12,000 illegal immigrants—are designed to open up many services to immigrants, such as banking. Supporters of the identification cards feel that they will encourage immigrants who are victims of crime or witnesses of crime to cooperate with authorities, whereas without identification some immigrants might be hesitant to come forward.

For many of these immigrants, the cards offer peace-of-mind in a climate where the federal and local governments are increasingly at odds over policies regarding undocumented immigrants. While Congress has failed to move forward on a controversial immigration law, new laws or proposals exist in more than 90 cities or counties across the U.S. that prohibit landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, and penalize businesses that employ them. Some of the measures are being challenged in court.

It is speculated that other cities may follow Connecticut, and also allow undocumented immigrants to have state issued identification cards. Critics state the cards would make the city more attractive to illegal aliens, flood the city's labor market, and take jobs away from legal residents. New Haven already offers federal tax help to immigrants and prohibits police from asking about their immigration status. A New York City councilman said he plans to introduce legislation to create municipal identification cards similar to those in New Haven for the city's 8.2 million residents.

Days after city officials approved the program, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted raids that led to about 30 arrests. City officials said the raids appeared to be retaliatory, but ICE officials have said the raids had nothing to do with the city's approval of the ID program. There is speculation that some immigrants may be reluctant to apply for an ID card because of the raids. However, it is predicted that most will still seek the ID cards. According to USCIS figures, 39,000 illegal aliens resided in Connecticut as of 2000. This figure is 34 percent higher than the previous INS estimate in 1996. This figure is also 105 percent higher than the estimate taken in 1990.