Alex and David Guzhnay regroup inside the Wilbur Cross gym after running the 5k. Eight-degree weather and below-zero windchill had nothing on New Haveners determined to support immigrants and refugees on Sunday morning. Nearly 1,800 people braved the cold to walk or run Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS)’ annual 5K “Run for Refugees” fundraiser in East Rock. Together, they raised over $100,000 for the organization. “That’s New Haven right there,” said 23-year-old Alex Guzhnay, who ran the race alongside his brother David. “I don’t have any other adjective for it.” Alex, a former Ward 1 alder who’s now the mayor’s liaison to the Board of Alders, said he’s participated in the 5K for several years now. Alex said he ran Sunday morning because “IRIS always puts on a big community event,” and because “I’m proud that my parents came from Ecuador.” His older brother David, 29, was visiting New Haven from Queens. “Even New York canceled their races” due to the cold, he said. “I was surprised with the turnout” at the IRIS run. Among the first to finish the 5K on Sunday. David had heard about the run from his brother and decided to join because “I thought it would be for a good cause,” he said. At a time when immigrants are being “attacked” by the federal government, “it’s a nice way to show them and the world, people are still supporting them,” David said. “Even though it’s cold right now.” Signs supporting immigrants lined the snowbanks along the course’s start. Due to the cold, the race was preceded by a gathering inside Wilbur Cross High School’s gymnasium. A crowd including kids, college students, and a host of politicians and city employees filled the entire room. The race itself took place outside. Then, participants returned to the gym to gather to celebrate their achievements and enjoy snacks (including pastries from the refugee and immigrant culinary training program Sanctuary Kitchen). Intrepid members of the Wilbur Cross High School drum line cheered the runners on with percussion — sans gloves. This year’s run was marked not only by unusually frigid weather, but by an unprecedented legal and political environment for IRIS’ operations. The nonprofit has lost substantial federal funding since President Donald Trump regained power in 2025. Over the last year, the Trump administration has shuttered much of the U.S. refugee system while refocusing resources on white Afrikaaners (prompting IRIS to shift away from its ordinary role as a resettlement agency). The federal government has also shuttered many avenues to legal immigration while drastically ramping up deportations of undocumented immigrants. While IRIS is not currently resettling new arrivals through the refugee system, the organization is still running programs that support immigrants and refugees currently in New Haven, from after-school programming for teens to a growing food pantry. IRIS Executive Director Maggie Mitchell Salem. The race was a chance not only to fundraise, but to send a message of solidarity and welcome to immigrants and refugees, said Rona Rohbar, IRIS’ senior manager of health and wellness who herself is a refugee. “Every step you take today symbolizes a movement. A movement away from trauma towards opportunity. Every mile represents a hope,” Rohbar said. “So as you run or walk today, remember, you are not just crossing a finish line, you are standing for human dignity. You are telling refugee families: ‘You are welcome here.’” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal alluded to congressional Democrats’ efforts to negotiate new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regulations this week, which would include banning agents’ use of face masks, mandating body cameras, adherence to certain use-of-force standards, and requiring judicial warrants to access private property. “We need to shut down DHS if necessary this week,” said Blumenthal, “to meet our demands for reform, and overhauling, and if necessary completely eliminating the way DHS does business right now.” His remarks received cheers from the crowd. State Attorney General William Tong called on the crowd to remember Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two American citizens whom ICE agents shot dead in Minneapolis while they were protesting. “We run with them in our hearts,” Tong said. He also reminded the crowd of the 16-year-old Meriden high school student, Kevin, whom ICE detained in June and finally released in December. “He fought, he hung in there, he persevered, his community rose up, and Kevin came home,” Tong said. Jamaal ran with “multiple forms of ID” on hand — and neighbors on his mind. The political context of the race was not lost on many of the run’s participants. One runner, Jamaal, said that his family had reservations about his decision to run in the race — not because of the weather, but because they worried the event would be a target for ICE activity. Jamaal said he brought “multiple forms of ID with me” to the race, just in case anyone were to question his legal status in the U.S. “I live in East Rock, and my whole apartment complex is filled with” students and post-docs from around the world, Jamaal said. “Their futures are so uncertain now.” Rob Bove described waking up Sunday morning with a sense of dread — “I was like, I don’t really want to do this” — but felt motivated to run anyway because “I’m in a better place than a lot of people” who are fearing deportation due to their immigration status. Wells, 10, “couldn’t feel my legs” at first — then later “sprinted” downhill. One of the race’s youngest participants, 10-year-old Wells, said he ran because “there are little children and old people” living in fear of ICE, whose detention centers he compared to “concentration camps.” The run itself was a challenge for Wells. “At first it was absolutely terrible. I couldn’t feel my legs,” he said. The running got easier “once we reached the turning point,” when the course began a downhill slope. “I sprinted,” Wells said. “It’s inspiring to see everyone out here, volunteering, cheering people on,” said Mayor Justin Elicker moments after crossing the finish line. Fellow runner East Rock/Fair Haven Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith echoed a sense of gratitude for the motivation boost of “seeing people you see every single day, cheering for you.” To IRIS Executive Director Maggie Mitchell Salem, the race provided a much-needed “morale booster” for IRIS staffers — a sign that their efforts are needed and appreciated. “So many people are afraid — and again, not only undocumented people,” she said. The fact that so many people turned out in the cold — “it means something.” Mayor Justin Elicker cheers upon finishing the race. A pair of Yale first years who first became friends through 6 a.m. runs were among many college students to take on the 5K. 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