The Golden Door: June 2024

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Support ILAP this Election Season

There’s so much noise during an election year, especially this one. With immigration at the center of the 2024 election, the ILAP community is once again impacted by harsh national rhetoric and an unsettled policy environment. And with all the debates, news stories and polls, what’s most important – the real families and human lives – can all too often be ignored or forgotten, and their stories unheard.

Will you help us keep our clients and community centered?

It is difficult to anticipate and plan for upcoming needs in this unpredictable political climate. But here at ILAP, we have learned to remain nimble and flexible to respond to the next unforeseen need when it arises. So while this moment in time feels challenging, we will continue to center our clients and keep moving forward in our journey toward justice. But we can’t do it alone. Thanks for being with us on our continued journey toward justice this election season and beyond.

Will you help us keep moving forward toward justice?

Donate now

Take Action: Marking Pride Month and World Refugee Day

2024 marks the 73rd anniversary of the Geneva Convention – a declaration of the rights of refugees and the legal obligations of nation states to protect those rights. Today, more than 117 million people are living forcibly displaced from their homes, including more than 31 million refugees, nearly 7 million asylum seekers, and more than 68 million internally displaced persons.

LGBTQI+ refugees face unique and complex journeys seeking safety and freedom. As we close out June, marking World Refugee Day and Pride Month, check out Rainbow Railroad’s work and latest report on Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution.

CALL TO ACTION:

Take action today with Rainbow Railroad's resources: https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/take-action

ILAP and Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Lead Advocacy Efforts to Protect Due Process Rights at New Lowell Immigration Court

ILAP and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) led New England immigration legal services nonprofits in advocating for policy and process changes at the new Lowell Immigration Court to protect the rights of low-income immigrants without access to counsel.

Much-needed recommendations for the Immigration Court include:

Not requiring a legal motion to request to appear for a court hearing remotely.
Ensuring clear and accurate information about the Court’s address and who should expect to have their cases transferred there.

ILAP is grateful to partner with MLRI and the other nonprofit organizational signatories on this advocacy effort and our shared missions to promote the legal rights and human dignity of vulnerable immigrants in New England.

Read the Full Letter

ILAP strongly recommends that people with cases in immigration court check the immigration court's website every week to see if their case has been moved. Case details can change at any time.

→ Immigration Court website: https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/

Attention: You may also receive notices or information by mail. It is very important the court has your updated address.

ILAP Responds to Biden's Latest Attack of Asylum Seekers

ILAP and immigrant rights organizations around the nation condemned the Biden administration’s June 4 action to effectively close the border to asylum seekers.

Lisa Parisio, ILAP’s Policy Director, made clear in ILAP’s statement: “President Biden’s latest attack on asylum seekers is extremist, deadly, and wholly illogical on a policy level. We know, without question, that effectively shutting down the border and denying people their right to seek asylum under U.S. law does not stop them from needing or seeking safety and security. It only forces them to take more dangerous and deadly journeys to reach U.S. soil or leaves them trapped in harm’s way while stranded in Mexico waiting for a chance to exercise their rights."

ILAP calls on the administration to immediately reverse course, to pursue policies that respect and protect the lives of asylum seekers, and to focus resources on processes that uphold people’s legal rights and human dignity.

ILAP Applauds Hard-Fought Victories for Mixed Status Families

The Biden administration announced executive actions in late June that will provide new pathways to citizenship for mixed status families and remove barriers to employment for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and DACA-eligible youth.

In response, ILAP’s Executive Director Sue Roche said: “Biden’s announcement will change the lives of many here in Maine and across the country. This hard-won victory is a testament to the decades-long collective advocacy of immigrant community members, immigrant-led and allied organizations, and advocates, to whom we extend our gratitude and appreciation.”

Read ILAP's Statement

IMPORTANT: These opportunities are NOT yet available to immigrants. ILAP will share more details and information about eligibility for Maine immigrant communities soon. Remember, be careful when getting immigration legal help!

We're Hiring!

Interested in joining ILAP's team? We are hiring a full-time Information Systems Specialist. This position works in collaboration with and coordinates ILAP’s IT management company to keep our technology environment in strong, stable, working order.

The salary ranges from $54,000 to $70,000, depending on experience and credentials. We will begin reviewing applications on June 30th and will continue until the position is filled.

We encourage you to apply or share with your networks!

Learn more & apply

ilap in the news

ILAP highlighted the harm of President Biden's plan to severely limit access to asylum on Maine Public and WMTW.

Maine Public and News Center Maine highlighted efforts by the Maine Attorney General's Office and our partners to spread awareness about immigration fraud.