Werner Oyanadel is the Chairman of the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC), a statewide network of community, faith, legal, labor, business, and grassroots organizations committed to advancing the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of immigrant and refugee communities.

He also serves as Policy Director for the Latino and Puerto Rican division of the nonpartisan Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity (CWCSEO) at the Connecticut General Assembly, where he brings nearly three decades of public service experience. In that role, he has helped advance landmark legislation impacting immigrant communities, including policies supporting Connecticut Dreamers, the Drive-Only license program for immigrants, and access to HUSKY Health for income-eligible immigrants.

Werner’s current work is focused on ensuring that immigration enforcement is carried out within the framework of human dignity and due process, while reminding policymakers and the broader public that immigration is a civil matter, not a criminal one, for the vast majority of immigrant families. He collaborates with state leaders and institutional partners to strengthen anti-racial profiling protections at the state and local levels and to advance human rights for refugees and asylum seekers as they pursue lawful status. He is also a strong proponent of federal immigration reform and of bilateral and regional conversations that promote economic stability in Latin America and other sending regions, recognizing that long-term migration solutions are rooted in shared prosperity, democratic values, and respect for human rights.

Through his leadership at CIRC, he helps guide legislative and budget priorities, convene cross-sector coalitions, elevate the contributions of immigrants through high-profile initiatives such as Immigrant Day at the Capitol, and secure the resources necessary for long-term movement sustainability. He is a past recipient of CIRC’s Immigrant of the Year Award.

Born and raised in Santiago, Chile, Werner immigrated to the United States as a teenager with his family. His life and work reflect Connecticut’s enduring commitment to opportunity and inclusion…Qui Transtulit Sustinet, the state motto…a reminder that those who are brought here continue to sustain and strengthen our state.