LEWISTON —Rising numbers of asylum seekers are putting such a strain on the city budget that Mayor Robert Macdonald spoke Friday with Gov. Paul LePage about what could be done to help. Macdonald, who could not be reached for comment, told Maine Public that the city has the number of asylum seekers more than double […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Can a 20 percent tax pay for the Mexico border wall?
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is promising Mexico will pay for his massive border wall. On Thursday, his administration finally suggested how: a 20 percent tax on products imported from south of the border. The new measure could be part of a comprehensive tax reform package that Trump and Congress will work out, the White […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump expected to sign ban on refugees coming to U.S.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday intended to sign an executive action Friday temporarily halting the flow of refugees into the United Sates and stopping all entries from some majority-Muslim nations, his spokesman said. A draft of the order obtained by The Associated Press also includes an indefinite ban on accepting Syrian refugees, and […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Catholic Charities Maine to continue work with refugees
PORTLAND — A Catholic agency that has for years worked to resettle refugees in Maine says it will continue to work with them even if federal resettlement rules change. Catholic Charities Maine has worked to resettle more than 3,000 refugees over the past several years. But President Donald Trump has announced plans to restrict entry […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Gov. Paul LePage suggests audit of how Portland aids immigrants
PORTLAND — Maine’s Republican governor said Thursday that the state’s largest city should face an audit over his accusation that it has used state money to assist immigrants who are living there while seeking asylum. Gov. Paul LePage’s comments during a morning appearance on WGAN-AM marked the second time this week he’s used a radio interview […]
Posted inLocal & State
Gov. Paul LePage may come to Lewiston to deal with immigration issues
Maine Gov. Paul LePage may meet with Lewiston’s mayor Friday to talk about immigration-related issues. During his weekly radio address Thursday morning with Portland station WGAN, LePage said he got a phone call from Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald letting him know “we have some real issues here.” LePage said he is “going to try to […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine to end its role in refugee resettlement March 4
As President Donald Trump weighs sharp restrictions on the resettlement of refugees in the U.S., Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has been taking the final steps to end Maine state government’s small role in the federal refugee resettlement program. Documents reviewed by the Bangor Daily News show that the state plans to end its part in […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump moving forward with border wall, weighs refugee cuts
Updated 3:34 p.m.: WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved aggressively to tighten the nation’s immigration controls Wednesday, signing executive actions to jumpstart construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and block federal grants from immigrant-protecting “sanctuary cities.” “Beginning today the United States of America gets back control of its borders,” Trump declared during a visit to the […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Obama ends visa-free path for Cubans who step onto U.S. soil
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama announced Thursday he is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident. The repeal of the “wet foot, dry foot” policy is effective immediately. The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba […]
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Business interests lobby Donald Trump to soften immigration stands
WASHINGTON — Still grappling with Donald Trump’s surprise election, the nation’s business community has begun to pressure the president-elect to abandon campaign-trail pledges of mass deportation and other hardline immigration policies that some large employers fear would hurt the economy. The push, led by an advocacy group backed by New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg and […]