The Golden Door: September 2023
You're Invited!
Celebrate ILAP's 30th anniversary!
Join us for Journey Toward Justice: Celebrating 30 Years on Thursday, October 19th at the University of New England's Innovation Hall. The celebration will feature a headline performance by the Bilad El-Sham Ensemble led by Maine-based Syrian hip-hop artist Assasi. Tickets are on sale now!
WHEN: Thursday, October 19 from 5:00-7:30pm
WHERE: Innovation Hall, University of New England (Portland campus)
TICKETS: Pay what you can, suggested $30
Celebrating Latine Communities & Cultures
We're mid-way through what is officially called National Hispanic Heritage Month, a 31-day period that started September 15th, chosen as the start because it marks independence day from Spain for several Central American nations.
Hispanic Americans come from about two dozen countries, each with their own customs, food, music, art and way of life. Some arrived in the U.S. generations ago, while others have just started their journeys in the U.S. They arrive as students, refugees, professionals, migrant workers, and asylum seekers. They are all races. They share a language, but colloquial dialects, accents and slang can sometimes sound like a whole new language, and many 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanic Americans don't speak Spanish at all.
So, it's not surprising that they don't agree on one term to describe themselves. Hispanic, Latino, Latinx, Latine, Chicano are some of the most common identifying terms for this one group of people. Many use their country of origin to describe themselves, like Dominican or Cuban American. Many have very strong feelings about what word should be used, others don't care.
Many immigrants arriving in Maine right now are Latinos coming to our state from many Latin American countries, including Honduras and El Salvador. We hope you will spend some time learning about the impact of this immigrant group throughout history and appreciating the dozens of cultures that are celebrated during Hispanic/Latinos/Chicanos/Latine/x Heritage Month!
DACA Recipients Left in Limbo – Again
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are our friends, co-workers, and neighbors, all with deep roots in communities in Maine and across the country. Yet their futures are thrown into upheaval year after year. Most recently, a federal judge in Texas ruled against the DACA program, claiming it to be "unlawful."
Important: For now, renewals for current DACA recipients will continue to be processed.
DACA recipients should not have to read the news every day to determine their futures here in the U.S. This ruling, again, reinforces the need for a pathway to citizenship for our community members without permanent status.
Join us as #MainersForDreamers to call on Congress to protect and secure the futures of DACA recipients and all undocumented people:
📞 Sen. Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523
📞 Sen. Angus King: (202) 224-5344
📞 Rep. Chellie Pingree: (202) 225-6116
📞 Rep. Jared Golden: (202) 225-6306
If you live outside of Maine, you can find your representatives here.
Honduras & Nicaragua Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
The U.S. government announced that it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras and Nicaragua for 18 months from January 6, 2024, to July 5, 2025. Current TPS holders must re-register between November 6, 2023 and July 5, 2025.
[En español] El gobierno de los EE. UU. anunció que extenderá el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para Honduras y Nicaragua por 18 meses, desde el 6 de enero de 2024 hasta el 5 de julio de 2025. Debe volver a registrarse para TPS entre el 6 de noviembre de 2023 y el 5 de julio de 2025.
Re-Registration Dates for Current TPS Holders Extended
The government also extended the time period for some current TPS holders to re-register. See the updated deadlines below:
If you live in Maine and would like help with TPS, visit: https://ilapmaine.org/get-legal-help.
Portland Featured in Asylum Report
This month, the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) released a report, Welcoming and Supporting People Seeking Asylum, featuring New York City and Portland, Maine.
The WRC spoke with ILAP's Senior Project Attorney Catherine N. Lindgren and Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney Maggie Loeffelholz, incorporating their reflections into the final report alongside the experiences of other organizations and asylum seekers.
The report’s final recommendations:
Federal funding sources to state and local governments and community organizations providing housing and services in destination communities.
Close, comprehensive coordination between the federal government and state and local governments and community organizations.
Legal and policy changes that provide expedited access to work permits and lawful status for people seeking asylum in U.S.
ILAP in the News
Francine Ngabu, ILAP’s Senior Intake Paralegal, joined Claude Rwaganje of Prosperity Maine, and other leaders on Maine Calling to discuss the barriers immigrants face while looking for employment, the resources available to help, and the countless strengths immigrants bring to Maine’s economy and community.
In talking about what immigrants bring to Maine beyond the workforce, Francine said “I live in the community and many people, many immigrants from different communities are loving Maine. They bring their love of Maine.” Listen to the full episode here!
America the Bilingual featured the story of Mohamed Kilani, an Arab immigrant who is now a Spanish teacher in Maine. Mohamed shared gratitude for ILAP, who helped his family when they first arrived in Maine. Listen to Mohamed's story here.
2023 MaineBiz Giving Guide
The 2023 Giving Guide from Mainebiz is out and includes lots of ways to support nonprofits as we enter the season of giving and beyond.
We're especially excited to see Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and fellow MIRC members showcased for their amazing collaborative advocacy work and leadership in supporting immigrants in Maine. "MIRC shows up and effectively brings people together to attend to crises," says ILAP Board member Gloria Ines Aponte C. in the article.