The Golden Door: January 2025
Tell Your Congressional Representatives NO to Mass Immigration Enforcement
In the first days of the Trump administration, immigrant communities in Maine and beyond have been targeted and terrorized. The anti-immigrant extremists who make up the Trump administration have doubled down on attempting to draw the false link between immigrants and criminality, have shut down existing humanitarian immigration pathways, and are using vast amounts of federal government resources on their crusade.
As a community, we know that these actions will not only harm immigrant communities, they have ripple effects that harm our entire country. We must make our opposition known now and continuously going forward. There is a long road ahead of us, but in community, we are strong.
CALL TO ACTION:
Use the sample script below to call or email your elected officials to let them know you strongly oppose the Trump administration's attacks on immigrant communities.
Senator Collins:
📞 Call your closest district office: www.collins.senate.gov/contact
📩 www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins
Senator King:
📞 Call your closest district office: www.king.senate.gov/contact/office-locations
📩 www.king.senate.gov/contact
Rep. Pingree (District 1):
📞 Call your closest district office: www.pingree.house.gov/contact/
📩 www.pingree.house.gov/contact/contactform.htm
Rep. Golden (District 2):
📞 Call your closest district office: www.golden.house.gov/contact/offices
📩 www.golden.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact
If you live outside of Maine, you can find your representatives here.
Note: Non-citizens and citizens alike can take part in this action alert. Members of Congress represent all of us, regardless of immigration status. You do not need to identify your immigration status when taking part in this action.
Sample Script:
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live at [ADDRESS WHERE YOU LIVE]. I am contacting you today to let you know I adamantly oppose the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrant communities and all of us in Maine. I know that there is no link between immigrants and criminality and accordingly, the government should not be making policies based on it and wasting limited federal resources and taxpayer dollars.
I ask you to use all of your power to defend Maine’s communities, businesses, economy, and future from the harm the Trump administration is seeking to do. I request a written response regarding my concerns. Please send to [YOUR MAILING ADDRESS OR EMAIL].
Immigration Law and Policy Updates
ILAP documented many of the rapid fire immigration announcements from the Trump administration’s first week in office in our Community Update emails on January 21 and January 24.
Additional announcements and their impact on Maine communities are below. As always, announcements are subject to rapid changes.
PLEASE NOTE: These updates are subject to rapid change.
What It Means:
This Executive Order eliminates the recognition of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people under the federal government.
The exact impact on immigration law and policy is yet to be seen but the harm on individual trans, intersex, and non-binary noncitizens - including those who have sought humanitarian protection in the U.S. based on their identity - is enormous.
The Trump administration expanded the circumstances under which civil immigration enforcement can occur at court houses. Under previous administrations this was more limited because of the chilling effect that enforcement has on noncitizens accessing courts, including people who are witnesses or victims of crimes.
Under the new policy, noncitizens accompanying someone to court may also be subject to enforcement. This policy change, like other changes permitting enforcement at sensitive locations, will undermine public safety as people are made afraid to attend court.
ICE Quotas
ICE offices have been directed to meet a daily quota of 75 arrests per day at each field office, confirmed by White House Deputy Chief of Staff in an interview.
The Boston Field Office covers Maine, in addition to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Faith leaders file lawsuit challenging end of sensitive locations policy
One of the Trump administration’s earliest actions was to remove the previous bans on immigration enforcement at schools, hospitals, places of worship, and other sensitive locations.
Quaker congregations have filed the first lawsuit challenging this policy. Challenges include that allowing immigration enforcement at places of worship infringes on religious freedom.
Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs, Venezuela announced
In one of the Executive Orders, the president called for review of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs with the goal of limiting them. TPS provides protection from deportation and work permits and covers many long-standing members of Maine’s communities as well as people who have arrived in more recent years.
On Jan. 28, there were reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is revoking the previous administration’s last extension of TPS for Venezuela. This would impact many Maine workers and businesses. We are waiting for an official announcement and more information.
Check out this community explainer from the National Immigration Project for more analysis on the Executive Orders.
Know Your Rights Resources
It is up to all of us to ensure we are only sharing good and verifiable information with our communities. Check out ILAP's reminders about preventing the spread of misinformation.
ILAP has updated our Know Your Rights page with trusted resources and links to more information. We encourage you to share these resources broadly.
[English] Know Your Rights:
https://ilapmaine.org/know-your-rights[Français] Connaitre Ses Droits:
https://ilapmaine.org/know-your-rights-french[Português] Conheça Seus Direitos:
https://ilapmaine.org/know-your-rights-portuguese[Español] Conozca Sus Derechos:
https://ilapmaine.org/know-your-rights-spanish[Kreyòl Ayisyen] Konnen Dwa Ou:
https://ilapmaine.org/know-your-rights-haitian-creole
ILAP's Community Info Session
On January 15th, ILAP hosted a community information session, "What Immigrants Need to Know Right Now," attended by nearly 200 community members.
ILAP staff shared information about how immigrant communities in Maine can prepare and protect themselves under the new Trump administration and answered attendee questions. Thanks to our incredible event interpreters, we were able to share information in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Kinyarwanda.
Big thanks to the Portland Public Library for hosting and supporting this event!
ILAP in the News
Policy Director Lisa Parisio was a panelist on Maine Public's January 16th Maine Calling episode on deportation. Lisa discussed the potential impact of mass immigration enforcement in Maine and how ILAP is helping communities prepare.
Lisa spoke with Maine Morning Star this week about the Trump administration's actions to increase immigration enforcement, sharing reminders about how immigrants can prepare for encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Join Our Team: Staff Attorney for Detention Project
In response to increased threats of immigration enforcement and detention, ILAP is expanding our capacity to support immigrants who are detained in Maine. We are seeking a full-time staff attorney based in ILAP’s Portland Office whose primary role will be to coordinate and provide immigration legal services to noncitizens detained by immigration authorities in Maine.
ILAP’s base salary for attorneys ranges from $72,100 - $86,520. Placement on our salary scale is based on multiple factors including job classification, years of relevant experience, and lived immigrant experience.
Review of applications will begin on February 24, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Please help us spread the word about this critical new position.
Photographer Donates Proceeds to ILAP 🧡
Maine photographer Peter Ralston created Better Angels eight years ago as a "personal response to what I consider a moral obligation and patriotic responsibility." Peter is currently offering a limited-edition sale of this series again and, as he did in 2017, will be generously donating 20% of the proceeds to ILAP!
“We believe that we must all do all that we can in times like these,” Peter shared in a recent email about Better Angels. We are grateful and moved by how he’s chosen to live into this statement. Thank you for sharing your art with the world and once again supporting ILAP’s work, Peter!
Please note: Peter has generously offered to hold the price on Better Angels at $3,000 for ILAP supporters through the end of February. If you are interested, please contact Ralston Gallery and mention learning about this offer through ILAP.
The Fight Ahead: Why We Need You Now
We are already seeing the human impact of the Trump administration's new policies. Families are afraid to leave their homes. Parents are scared to send their children to school. Community members hesitate to go to church, seek medical care, or gather in public spaces—fearing the possibility of detention or deportation. This is not the Maine we want to see.
ILAP is ready to fight back—but we need your help. The demand for our legal services will grow, and the challenges ahead will require urgent advocacy, resources, and action. A donation today ensures that ILAP can meet this critical moment, providing free legal aid and standing up for immigrant rights when it matters most.
Will you stand with us? Every dollar strengthens our ability to protect immigrant families and push back against harmful policies.
Together, we will continue to defend justice and build a future where all immigrants can thrive. Thank you.
