The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI), founded in 1918, is a statewide nonprofit human service agency that addresses the need to provide new immigrants and refugees in Connecticut with services to help them become self-sufficient, integrated, and contributing members of the community. The organization focuses on helping those individuals who face significant barriers to adjusting to their new environment and offers legal, social, and educational programs to help them overcome these obstacles. CIRI provides special services to victims of serious crimes such as human trafficking, torture, and domestic violence. Each year CIRI assists over 4,000 individuals from its offices in Bridgeport, Stamford, and Hartford. CIRIr esponds to the urgent legal needs of immigrant families. CIRI's experienced immigration attorneys and representatives accredited by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Access Programs ensure that immigrants are aware of their legal options and provide representation before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office of Immigration Review. The program offers a wide range of low-cost and free legal services to low-income immigrants that may include help with issues related to family-based immigration, applications for permanent residence, naturalization & citizenship, legal protections for victims of violence and serious crimes, asylum applications, and representation before the immigration court. In addition, CIRI provides confidential consultations to individuals with varying immigration statuses so that they may understand rights, responsibilities, and whether or not any immigration benefits are available to them according to current U.S. immigration law and policy.