Three national refugee resettlement agencies argued the order illegally conflicts with the 1980 Refugee Act.
immigration
New book brings more attention to Lewiston’s Somali community
Cynthia Anderson’s “Home Now” offers a portrait of a city coping with an influx of immigrants and discovering in the process a path to a brighter future.
Susan Collins introduces bill to let asylum seekers work sooner, bucking Donald Trump’s plan
The bipartisan measure runs counter to a White House proposal to double the waiting period, and is similar to one proposed by Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree and supported by independent Sen. Angus King.
Influx of asylum seekers fills Portland’s overflow shelters
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.