The Golden Door: December 2021
Legal and Policy Issues
We are closely monitoring state and federal immigration law and policy. Please check our social media accounts for more frequent updates.
Build Back Better Pushed to 2022
In December, the Senate parliamentarian issued yet another negative advisory opinion on the provision that would have allowed millions of undocumented people the opportunity to obtain work permits and be protected from deportation. The parliamentarian’s decision is not binding, and we urge Senate Democrats to bypass the parliamentarian and include pathways to citizenship in Build Back Better.
2022 is the year to secure a win for immigrant communities. Democrats must deliver on their promise to keep families together and create new pathways to citizenship in the United States. We will keep fighting until all Maine families can prosper, regardless of where they were born.
CALL TO ACTION: Contact Maine's Senators
2022 is the year for a pathway to citizenship! Call or email Maine’s Senators and demand that they support a pathway to citizenship in Build Back Better:
Senator Susan Collins:
📞 (202) 224-2523
📩 www.collins.senate.gov/contact
Senator Angus King:
📞 (202) 224-5344
📩 www.king.senate.gov/contact
If you live outside of Maine, you can find your representatives here.
Urgent Relief Needed for Afghans
Since August, ILAP has been working with local and national partners to secure a legal pathway to safety for Afghans who are at risk of persecution by the Taliban. Unfortunately, traditional immigration options have failed to meet the urgency of the situation and many Mainers have been left with few avenues to reunite with their loved ones.
“The only hope is to pressure the government to change its policy. We need a grassroots campaign to shine a light on this devastating humanitarian crisis,” says Afghanistan Project Attorney Catherine Lindgren. Earlier this month, ILAP signed on to a joint letter urging the Biden Administration to act, and we will continue our collective advocacy efforts alongside Maine’s Afghan community and other partners.
At the same time, we are joining our partners to welcome evacuees from Afghanistan who are being resettled in Maine and will need assistance navigating the asylum process in the coming months. Listen to more about these efforts from Catholic Charities Maine and Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.
To contact Maine’s Afghan Community to find out how you can help, email afghansofmaine@gmail.com.
Biden Administration Ends Settlement Talks With Separated Families, Continuing Inhumane Border Policies
In a move consistent with its cruel border policies, the Biden administration pulled out of settlement talks with families separated during President Trump's so-called "zero tolerance" policy. As the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board wrote, "...in ending the talks, and giving in to the cruelty of his opponents, the president has missed an opportunity to atone for our country’s actions, and show it can live up to its ideals."
Despite President Biden's promises to the contrary, the situation at the southern border has not improved. The US government is still using Title 42 to expel asylum seekers, recently reinstated the Remain in Mexico program, and created a new rocket docket to push families through deportation courts as quickly as possible.
The Biden administration must stop using Title 42, end the Remain in Mexico program, and begin treating families fleeing persecution with dignity.
Asylum Litigation Pushes for Answers
Since 2019, ILAP has been part of a lawsuit with ACLU of Maine and the Refugee & Human Rights Clinic at Maine Law to understand why the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Boston is denying asylum cases at a rate far higher than the national average. In recent years, the Boston office has only approved around 8% of asylum cases compared to 30% nationally.
USCIS has responded with thousands of pages of records, but the documents are redacted in key areas and some critical documents have not been turned over. As a result, it is still unclear why approval rates in Boston are so low. Our ongoing litigation seeks to compel the government to provide documents that explain why it has denied certain asylum cases.
For asylum seekers in Maine, these initial denials and due process violations can have serious consequences, preventing them from working, reuniting with family, and moving forward with their lives. People applying for asylum deserve to have the same process and the same outcomes no matter which USCIS office reviews their case.
Read recent coverage by Maine Public, Portland Press Herald, and WMTW.
Immigrant Children's Project Featured in National Report
Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney Maggie Loeffelholz was featured in a new report from the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a national group of directly impacted youth and allied advocates. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SJIS) is a humanitarian protection that provides a pathway to legal status for young people up to age 21 who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent.
There is currently a years-long backlog in the SIJS process that leaves children and youth under the threat of deportation despite Congress’ intent when creating a rapid pathway to permanent protection for vulnerable immigrant children in 1990.
The “Any Day They Could Deport Me” report details the many negative impacts of this backlog on SIJS-approved youth, legal services attorneys, and the immigration court system. It also recommends steps that Congress and the Biden Administration can take to protect immigrant children and youth.
New Digital Resource for Maine's Farmworkers
The ongoing pandemic has shown us the importance and power of accessible information. ILAP's Rural Maine Project has been focused on expanding its remote services during this time of increased isolation and separation.
As a part of this work, ILAP and other service providers working with farm and seasonal workers around the state came together to launch a central website with resources for farmworkers.
This digital hub includes contact information for Maine organizations and a wide range of resources in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. The website will continue to be updated with translations and additional information.
Special thanks to Amy Hagemeier for spearheading this project!
A Closer Look
This section of the Golden Door takes “a closer look” at a topic relating to ILAP's work using an intersectional lens based on a monthly theme.
2021 in Review
ILAP launched A Closer Look as part of our monthly Golden Door as a way to take a "closer look" at a topic relating to ILAP's work using an intersectional lens based on a monthly theme. Over the past year, we've covered a lot of different topics, from the history of immigration to indigenous sovereignty. Each Closer Look section includes resources for continued learning and Maine organizations to support.
Check out the Closer Look topics we covered this year:
We would love to hear your feedback! What topics would you like us to focus on in the new year? Do you have resources or other Maine organizations you would like ILAP to spotlight? Let us know! Email sbarton@ilapmaine.org with your thoughts and suggestions.