Nearly 170 people, most from sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived in Portland in the past three weeks and city officials say they’ve run out of space to shelter them.
immigration
Posted inMaine, News
About 70 more asylum seekers expected to arrive in Portland this week
The African families released at the border in Texas will be offered overnight shelter in local gymnasiums, and city officials are making contingency plans in case the influx is larger than expected.
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Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News
Trump administration rule would double asylum seekers’ wait for work permits
The proposal would make asylum applicants wait 1 year before they could apply for work permits, a move that critics say could affect hundreds of new arrivals in Maine and add to the burden on taxpayers.
Posted inBusiness, Maine, News, Politics
Advocates highlight high stakes for some Maine immigrants in Supreme Court case
Elected officials and business, religious and educational leaders are warning that nearly 150 Mainers could be deported if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Posted inMaine, News
Charge dropped in Bangor case that led to claim of racial profiling
An advocacy group complains that the Border Patrol’s suspicions about a family were aroused because they appeared to be of ‘Central-American origin’ and spoke Spanish while shopping at a store in Maine
Posted inMaine, News
New ICE office in downtown Portland draws protests
A spokesperson says the the Homeland Security Investigations office will specialize in transnational criminal probes, not deportations.
Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News
Portland to receive nearly $900,000 to help cover cost of aiding asylum seekers
The federal funding includes $864,000 for the city of Portland, plus another $28,500 for 2 local nonprofits that helped provide housing and other services.
Posted inNation / World, Politics
Trump policy allows states, cities to refuse refugees for 1st time in U.S. history
If governors or lawmakers want to close the door, it could hurt towns that have come to rely on young refugees to revitalize their economies.
Posted inMaine, Uncategorized
‘It’s our last hope’: Maine man deported to Cambodia seeks gubernatorial pardon
Some advocates see executive clemency as a political tool to protest federal immigration priorities, but legal experts say it might not be enough to bring Chamroeun Pheng home.
Posted inMaine, News, Uncategorized
Former asylum seeker returns to thank Mainers for support
Luc Mpangaje relied on help from a Portland church after fleeing Burundi in 2010.