The Golden Door: April 2023
Announcing our 2022 Volunteer & Partner Awards
Over the last year, ILAP touched the lives of 4,719 immigrants and their family members in Maine through direct legal services and community legal education, and many more through systemic advocacy. We could not have done this work without our community of dedicated volunteers, partners, and supporters. Thank you!
To mark National Volunteer Month and recognize some stand-out contributions, we are proud to announce our 2022 Volunteer & Partnership Awards:
Supporting Immigrant Youth Award
ILAP Hero
Dr. Alice Haines
Language Volunteers of the Year
Alby Recierdo
Marcos Pacheco Sotos
Grassroots Fundraiser of the Year
Louise Rosen
Outstanding Advocate Award
Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year
Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year
Dan McDonald
Lowell Turnbull
Development Volunteer of the Year
Mariah Mitchell
Business Partner Awards
Community Partner Award
Chelsea Hoskins and the staff of the Resettlement Program of the City of Portland
ILAP v. ICE: Litigation Win!
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used Cumberland County Jail as a short-term detention facility for immigrants from other New England states to facilitate their transfer to southern states. These unnecessary transfers subjected people in ICE custody to dangerous and unhygienic conditions during travel and in the destination facilities, and violated ICE’s own pandemic response policy. At the same time, ICE proceeded with plans to open a new detention facility in Scarborough, with little transparency and consultation of local representatives and residents.
In January 2021, the ACLU of Maine, ILAP, and the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Maine School of Law submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding ICE’s plans in Scarborough. When the agency refused to comply with the request, we joined our partners in suing.
This month, a judge ruled in favor of the Maine organizations – ordering ICE to conduct a new search of its records. ILAP thanks the ACLU of Maine for their leadership on the litigation.
Learn more about ILAP's impact litigation efforts here.
Advocates Secure Expansion of Healthcare Access for DACA Recipients
In a major victory, it is expected that DACA recipients will be newly eligible to enroll in health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid, providing access to healthcare for an estimated 600,000 people.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) says it plans for the rule to go into effect on November 1, and will accept public comments until June 23. Learn more from one of the DACA-led organizations that secured this life-changing win here.
U.S. and Canada Strike Secret Deal Eroding Access to Asylum on the Northern Border
On March 25, a new rule took effect permitting both Canada and the United States to expel asylum seekers without giving them the opportunity to apply for asylum. The rule was negotiated secretly and only became known to the public as it began being implemented.
Like on the southern border, lack of access to asylum only forces people to take more dangerous journeys, putting vulnerable people at even more risk. Learn more about this development from the American Immigration Council here.
Join Our Team!
We are excited to be hiring a full-time Legal Program Assistant to support our growing Asylum Assistance and Legal Orientation Project (AALOP), which offers critical legal services to asylum seekers and other immigrants arriving to Maine.
The Legal Program Assistant will work collaboratively with ILAP staff to screen asylum cases and assist with the pro se completion of I-589 asylum applications.
Beginning salary is $45,000 or more depending on years of experience. ILAP offers a base salary increase for staff who speak common client languages and a generous benefits package.
Review of applications will begin on May 15, and will continue until the position is filled.
We encourage anyone interested to apply! Please help us spread the word about this important new position. Thank you!
ILAP in the News
The recent ruling in the lawsuit ILAP and the ACLU of Maine filed against ICE was covered by Law360, Portland Press Herald, and the Maine Beacon.
Maine Public News Connect also covered the ICE lawsuit, along with other important news in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Somali, and English. Find more translated news here!
ILAP and other Welcome With Dignity partners mourned the lives lost in the migrant detention center fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, calling on the Biden administration to take action to prevent further needless tragedies in this Welcome With Dignity press release.
ILAP joined thousands of advocates last month in submitting public comments to oppose the Biden administration's asylum ban. WOLA reported that more than 50,000 comments were submitted in total. Senior Policy and Outreach Attorney Lisa Parisio explained the impact of the proposed asylum ban on Maine’s communities in an American Immigration Council press release.
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