The Golden Door: July 2022
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Op-ed: America’s 20-Year War Hasn’t Ended for Our Afghan Allies or Our Veterans
August marks one year since the so-called end of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan. But for so many in both the U.S. and Afghanistan, the battle is far from over.
This op-ed co-authored by Abdul Rahman Qani, president of the Afghan Community of Maine, and ILAP’s Catherine N. Lindgren, Esq. shines a light on the deadly and devastating realities that remain and what the Biden administration must do save the lives of our Allies, protect our national security, and honor our Veterans.
CALL TO ACTION: #FinishTheMission
An estimated 160,000 allies eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program remain trapped in Afghanistan, facing a deepening humanitarian crisis.
This August, join ILAP in participating in No One Left Behind’s #FinishTheMission campaign, aimed at lifting up the stories of Afghan interpreters, contractors and others who served the U.S. mission and have been left behind. Find resource and more information about the campaign here!
Supreme Court Has Ruled on Remain in Mexico, Biden Administration Must Act Now
On June 30, the last day of the Supreme Court’s 2022 session, the Court ruled that the Biden administration has the authority to end the deadly Remain in Mexico policy (officially known as Migrant Protection Protocols).
The policy, originally put in place under the previous administration and expanded by the Biden administration, forces asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border to remain in Mexico while trying to exercise their right to seek asylum in the United States. A 2021 report documents more than 1,500 known cases of people in need of asylum being raped, kidnapped, tortured, and murdered due to the Remain in Mexico program.
“Remain in Mexico is a travesty of human rights and due process,” said Executive Director Sue Roche in a statement ILAP released following the Supreme Court's ruling.
ILAP joined more than 100 organizations across the country in calling for urgent action from the Biden administration now that the Court has spoken. Read the letter and policy recommendations here.
Biden Administration Fails to Redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela
The humanitarian disaster in Venezuela is one of the largest in the world. Six million people have fled for their lives. Venezuelans who remain in country are subjected to extreme shortages of food and medicine, human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests, and more.
On July 11, the Biden administration rightfully extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to safeguard current Venezuelan TPS holders, but failed to use its authority to protect Venezuelans in the U.S. who arrived after March 8, 2021 - people who will be subjected to the same life-threatening conditions as current TPS holders if forced to return to Venezuela.
As a member of the Temporary Protected Status – Deferred Enforced Departure Administrative Advocacy Coalition, ILAP calls on U.S. administrations to broadly and boldly use TPS and DED to safeguard human life, keep families united, build a strong U.S. economy and communities, and promote a U.S. foreign policy rooted in upholding human rights for all.
Maine Expands Access to Health Care for Young and Pregnant Immigrants
As of July 1st, immigrants with qualifying income who are under the age of 21 or who are pregnant are eligible for full MaineCare benefits, regardless of immigration status! Find resources and more information on Maine Equal Justice's website.
This is a big step toward rightfully restoring MaineCare to all Mainers and is a testament to the power of our collective advocacy efforts. We are grateful to all the dedicated organizations and so many of you for making health care for all a priority in Maine.
Despite this expansion, many noncitizens remain without access to care. This impacts the health of all of us. ILAP testified last year in support of fully restoring MaineCare and we will continue our advocacy until everyone in Maine can access the health care they need to thrive.
Connecting Recent Arrivals with Legal Support
ILAP is working hard to connect the increasing number of asylum seekers in Maine with the legal knowledge and support they need to navigate our country's complex immigration system.
Over the last few months, ILAP has hosted community legal education events in Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, and Lewiston to increase access to legal support for recent arrivals to Maine.
Pictured here is Legal Program Associate and Language Editor/Coordinator Emily Burns at an event we hosted at the Howard Johnson hotel, where many families have been staying.
We are grateful to our partners from the Angolan Community of Maine, Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition, and University of Maine School of Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, along with the hotels and organizations who've hosted us, for their support and collaboration. We look forward to continuing and expanding this work to ensure asylum seekers have the tools needed to find stability and security and start new lives here in Maine!
Keep an eye on our Facebook page for information about future workshops and events!
Resource Roundup: Boston Immigration Court Support
Catholic Charities of Boston's Immigration Court Helpdesk is a great resource for people in immigration court.
The Helpdesk provides:
Free assistance and legal information to unrepresented respondents in removal proceedings at the Boston Immigration Court
Free information on court practices, procedures, and general information about options related to relief and protection from removal, and other relevant resources
The Helpdesk also has representatives at the Boston Immigration Court to help immigrants who do not have a lawyer. Check out ILAP's website for more information about immigration court!
ILAP in the News
Afghanistan Project Attorney Catherine N. Lindgren was among those on the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Afghan Response Task Force honored with the 2022 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award. In this Amjambo Africa article, Catherine used the recognition to advocate for needed legislation.
ILAP joined over 200 organizations in writing to U.S. House leadership to express strong opposition to the proposed attempts to codify and extend the deadly use of Title 42.
Event Spotlight: Maine Philanthropy Center's Summer Learning Series
Join ILAP and our co-authors of Lives in Limbo: How the Boston Asylum Office Fails Asylum Seekers for a morning of learning and discussion with the Maine Philanthropy Center on Wednesday, August 10th from 10-11am.
You'll have a chance to hear from ILAP's Jennifer Bailey along with Anna Welch from Maine Law’s Refugee and Human Rights Clinic and Anahita Sotoohi from ACLU of Maine about why we launched an investigation into the Boston Asylum Office, what we found, and how our report has made an impact.
This event is the final session in MPC's Summer Learning Series and registration is FREE. We hope you'll join us!
You Made it Happen!
The George J. and Theresa L. Cotsirilos Family Foundation set a $10,000 matching challenge for ILAP this spring and you rose to the challenge, helping us meet our match!
Thanks to all of you, all gifts from our spring fundraising campaign will now go twice as far toward advancing justice for immigrants in Maine.
We are deeply grateful to our community of supporters and the George J. and Theresa L. Cotsirilos Family Foundation for helping ILAP continue to make investments in Maine's immigrant communities. Thank you!
