NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Members of the immigrant support group Manos Unidas used public comment at the New Britain Common Council meeting Thursday to press Mayor Bobby Sanchez to help spread word of a rapid-response hotline for reporting ICE activity and to back a push for health coverage for immigrants.

Several speakers noted the meeting fell on the one-year mark of Sanchez's time in office and said the group had tried to meet with him three times.

"We are just trying to get an appointment with him for three times and no response," one member said.

An organizer with the group said the administration "promised a lot of stuff to us" and asked for help canvassing neighborhoods with know-your-rights information and the hotline, which she described as a number "where you can actually call and um right report ice sightings and our community members will be there."

Another member said, "We've had ICE activity here in New Britain, and people have been taken off the streets," adding, "This is happening here, and this affects real people in our city and in our neighborhoods."

She also urged support for the HUSKY for Immigrants campaign, saying "there is no health care for those over the age of 15 that are undocumented unless they are pregnant." "Healthcare is a human right, and I think we can do better," she said.

Amy Martin, a Manos Unidas member who said she helped elect Sanchez, said, "In the current climate, we feel it's urgent that we meet with Mayor Bobby to discuss how he can support us in raising funds for immigrant families affected by ICE."

One speaker described driving the wife of a detained man to the courthouse. "They took him away to Massachusetts," the speaker said. "He didn't do anything wrong. As soon as he saw the judge, three weeks later, he was able to come back."

A former New Britain resident told the council his deferred action status had expired and he had lost his job of more than 14 years. "I found out that some people were picked up here in New Britain," he said, "and truthfully, I don't feel that safe."

No response from the mayor to the requests was heard during public comment.

Much of the rest of the public comment focused on a proposed resolution for police drones, which several speakers, including some who also spoke for Manos Unidas, urged the council to reject, while the city's police commissioner spoke in favor.