Here is an update on recent state and federal activities impacting the lives of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Maine.
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The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project’s (ILAP) executive director, Sue Roche, issued this statement on Pingree’s Sept. 22 oversight letter regarding the Scarborough ICE facility.
“ILAP clients have been denied their right to have their attorneys join them at appointments at the ICE Scarborough facility multiple times over the past months. These have included check-in appointments for people who are in immigration court proceedings," Roche wrote. "In the current environment, with the federal government flagrantly disregarding due process and attempting to indiscriminately deport as many people as they can, having your attorney by your side during any ICE appointment is beyond critical."
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Sue Roche, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, a nonprofit that provides legal assistance to immigrants, said attorneys in Maine have been rebuffed on “multiple occasions over the past months” when trying to join clients at their routine appointments, including clients with active immigration cases.
“In the current environment, with the federal government flagrantly disregarding due process and attempting to indiscriminately deport as many people as they can, having your attorney by your side during any ICE appointment is beyond critical,” Roche said in a written statement.
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Policy Director Lisa Parisio discusses President Biden's plan to severely limit access to asylum and its potential for harmful impacts on "In the current environment, with the federal government flagrantly disregarding due process and attempting to indiscriminately deport as many people as they can, having your attorney by your side during any ICE appointment is beyond critical," said ILAP Executive Director Sue Roche.
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In a written statement, the Portland-based Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project said its clients have been denied attorney access "multiple times" over the past several months.
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The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project confirmed to Maine Morning Star that its clients have been denied the right to have their attorneys present at appointments at the field office over the past few months, including during check-in appointments for people who are in immigration court proceedings. Arrests at such proceedings have been reported elsewhere across the country.
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“While someone might desperately want and need the abuse to stop, the consequences of a partner being detained or deported and a family ripped apart can add additional harm and trauma to the situation,” Melissa Brennan, co-legal director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, said in an email, agreeing to speak only about broad concerns and not Rivera Martinez’s case.
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The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) submits a comment on on the proposed rule to amend the regulations on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program under 34 CFR 685.219.
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