The Golden Door: February 2024
Leap Year, Leap for Justice: Access to Justice Day
Leap Year, Leap for Justice! January 29th is Access to Justice Day 2024, an annual day of advocacy to highlight the importance of civil legal aid and take action to bring access to justice for all in Maine.
Join us in urging legislators to make justice for all a priority. Follow this link to send an email in support of civil legal aid today!
→ Read more about the impact and importance of civil legal aid. We are grateful for the work and partnership of our fellow civil legal aid providers in Maine!
Black History Month: Immigration is a Black Issue
This month, as we commemorate and celebrate Black History in the United States, we lift up the words and advocacy of our partners at the UndocuBlack Network: #ImmigrationIsABlackIssue. You can learn more about UndocuBlack and support their work here.
ILAP also amplifies the work of the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) as they take the Biden administration to court over the abuses committed by the U.S. government against Haitian asylum seekers in Del Rio in 2021. Click here to learn more and support HBA.
Maine has a rich Black history and the state is fortunate to have vibrant and growing Black and immigrant communities. Join us in celebrating Black immigrant leaders of the past, present, and future. Black history is in the making every day.
ILAP Speaks Out Against Politicization of Asylum Seekers
As debate in Congress around linking one-time foreign aid funding to changes in asylum law continued in February, ILAP remained steadfast that trading the rights and lives of asylum seekers for one-time foreign aid is categorically unacceptable.
“Trading away human life, safety, and dignity is not a compromise, it is a moral and humanitarian failure that cuts away at our proclaimed values as a country and society,” said Executive Director Sue Roche.
ILAP Submits Public Comment on Public Benefits Processes for Noncitizens in Maine
Working closely with our partners at Maine Equal Justice, ILAP submitted a public comment in response to proposals from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on new processes for administering public benefits to noncitizens.
ILAP flagged to DHHS that its proposal for verifying immigration status would not cover the majority of asylum seekers in Maine who are eligible for crucial and life-saving public assistance.
Read ILAP’s full analysis and public comment here.
It's Time to Let Asylum Seekers Work!
This month, ILAP joined partners across the nation in the re-launch of the #LetAsylumSeekersWork Campaign, which calls on Congress to pass Representative Pingree’s Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act.
When asylum seekers work, our communities don’t just grow—they flourish. Check out the campaign's new video, highlighting the importance of asylum seekers' access to work:
Thanks to T'ruah, Dream of Detroit, Pacifica Synod ELCA, Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, Andreina Zuluaga, Refugee Congress, and Lancaster Commerce.
Young People Create Warm Welcome & Advocate for Asylum Seekers
ILAP joined Chickadeeds this month for two events aimed at helping young people in Maine understand the situations their immigrant classmates are navigating and how to support them through welcoming and advocacy.
Chickadeeds volunteers:
Made 100 multilingual welcome cards and coloring kits for kids in ILAP's offices
Donated 50 children's books for our waiting area libraries
Wrote 30 advocacy letters to Representative Pingree in support of her legislation that would allow all asylum seekers to work sooner
A BIG thank you to all the volunteers and to Chickadeeds for organizing this inspiring event series. We are also grateful to Katie Fisher Design for designing and donating beautiful materials and to Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine for hosting us.
Look what’s possible when we come together to welcome with dignity - thank you!
We're Hiring!
Interested in joining ILAP’s team? We have two open positions:
1. Operations and Administrative Assistant
Focuses on administrative functions to support ILAP’s finances, human resources, and operations
Salary range: $50,000 to $58,000
Application review begins: Monday, March 11th
2. Senior Information Systems and Operations Specialist
Works to keep organization’s technology environment in strong, stable, working order
Salary range: $58,000 to $70,000 or more
Application review begins: Tuesday, March 26th
We encourage anyone interested to apply! Please help us spread the word. Thank you!
ILAP in the News
Executive Director Sue Roche condemned Representative Golden’s continued attacks on the lives and rights of asylum seekers in a recent Maine Beacon article.
Earlier this month in the Portland Press Herald, Sue called for the full rejection of a Senate bill that included anti-immigrant policies that would strip away asylum rights and due process.
ILAP endorsed the reintroduced GRACE Act to affirm the United States’ commitment to welcoming refugees and ensure Refugee Admissions remains above 125,000.
Local Event Spotlight: International Women's Day Gala
Join Women United Around the World on March 15th for an international fashion show celebrating International Women’s Day and the achievements of women from around the world, organized by friend of ILAP and former Board member Adele Ngoy.
Women United Around the World (WUAW) is a nonprofit focused on skills training and leadership development for immigrant women new to Maine.
We 🧡 Our Local Businesses!
Each year, Maiz Columbian Street Food donates $1 from every specialty cocktail they sell. They selected ILAP as their nonprofit partner in 2023, saying "it is work like yours that allows employees and community members to build fulfilling lives here with us in Maine." Thanks for the generous support, Maiz!
We are also grateful to The Milk Bottle, who will be donating $1 from every Lime-Aid cocktail/mocktail mixer sold during the month of March. Check out their website here.
Thank you, thank you!
