Some residents are proud of the city’s open-arms approach, while others question what the long-term obligations will be.
asylum seekers
Posted inMaine, News
Maine health care system responds to influx of asylum seekers
The Maine CDC has public health nurses working with newly arrived asylum seekers at the Portland Expo, and a clinic will offer primary care as needed.
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Posted inMaine, Nation / World, News
South Portland council considers ways to help asylum seekers
City councilors discuss spending as much as $100,000 and organizing a regional effort to help deal with the surge in asylum seekers coming to Portland from the southern border.
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Lewiston watches closely as migrants flow into Portland
LEWISTON — Portland is experiencing an influx of migrants that some worry could spread into Lewiston. On Tuesday, Portland City Manager Jon Jennings set up an emergency shelter to accommodate more than 200 asylum seekers heading to the city from the South. As Jennings prepared to get the emergency shelter staffed, he said he would […]
Posted inMaine, News
More asylum seekers arrive in Portland from southern border as city debates assistance
Portland’s human resources director criticizes comments by Mayor Ethan Strimling welcoming the arrival of more immigrants, a sign of the tensions as Maine’s largest city sees another influx of asylum-seeking families.
Posted inMaine, News, Politics
Lawmakers consider bills to reinstate asylum seekers’ access to welfare benefits
Welfare reforms pushed by former Gov. Paul LePage and the Republican-controlled Legislature eight years ago eliminated access to some assistance programs for non-citizens.
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Portland loses federal grant over its support of non-citizens
The Trump administration’s crackdown on communities that support asylum-seekers will cost Portland police $68,000 next year, city officials said. New language inserted into eligibility rules for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant issued by the Department of Justice requires city officials to attest that their community does not induce or encourage noncitizens to come to […]
Posted inLetters
They are not interlopers
This is in response to the letter from Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald (March 31). How dare he refer to my friends, who have sought asylum here, interlopers. They are people who suffered greatly, who seek safety for themselves and their families. If he would listen to their stories as I do, he would weep, as […]
Posted inLetters
Problem is a rigged system
This is in response to Mayor Robert Macdonald’s letter “Lewiston a struggling city” (March 31). Federal law prevents Lewiston from closing its doors to those who are legally present. Given that, let’s focus on solutions instead of bemoaning reality. Giving asylum-seekers help quickly so that they can start working is just common sense. The mayor […]
