The Golden Door: June 2025
ACTION ALERT: Wear & Share the Message that Maine is Home for All!
ILAP believes that Maine should be a home for all and we are excited to share a new way you can help us spread this message across Maine and beyond. We recently launched a new merch store where you can find “Home for All” t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, apparel for kids, yard flags, and more.
This ILAP gear is a fun and visible way to show your support for our work and solidarity with Maine’s immigrant communities. Plus, at least 20% of every sale goes directly toward supporting ILAP’s mission.
In the face of unrelenting attacks on immigrants and other historically oppressed communities, thank you for helping spread a message of welcome, belonging, and home. Learn more about our Home for All campaign at ilapmaine.org/home-for-all.
Report Shows Immigrant Survivors of Violence and Abuse at Even Greater Risk Under Mass Deportation Policies
The federal administration’s mass deportation policies are putting immigrants experiencing violence and abuse at even more risk. In a national study this spring, the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors found that:
75.6% of advocates reported that immigrant survivors of violence and/or abuse have concerns about contacting the police
70.3% of advocates report that immigrant survivors have concerns about going to court for a matter related to their abuser/offender
50% of advocates report that immigrant survivors who had concerns about contacting the police or going to court ultimately chose not to due to fear
These findings echo what ILAP is hearing from our clients here in Maine. Mass enforcement policies harm all of us: already vulnerable people are placed in more danger and public safety information impacting all of us goes unreported. Join ILAP in lifting up the important findings from this study using the social media toolkit here.
State Bill Regarding Protections for At-Risk Noncitizen Children Signed into Law
ILAP is thrilled to share that Governor Mills signed LD 1832, An Act to Clarify Available Relief for the Protection of At-risk Children, into law. This law will improve judicial efficiency and increase access to legal assistance for non-citizen children in Maine by clarifying and updating the state’s existing law related to Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification.
ILAP's Immigrant Children's Project works with immigrant youth across Maine to pursue protections and stability through the SIJ classification.
In her testimony, Immigrant Children's Project Attorney, Maggie Loeffelholz explained, “Federal law and policy contain strict requirements for the content and form of state court findings. For the court’s order to effectively qualify a child for SIJ classification, the proceeding itself and the resulting order must meet these requirements. As a result, it is critical for Maine laws and procedures related to seeking SIJ findings to be clear for both judges and practitioners, and to align with applicable federal and state law.” Read ILAP’s full testimony here.
Immigration Law & Policy Updates
ILAP is committed to helping our community make sense of immigration news and its impact. Below is a summary of some key developments from the past few weeks, as of June 30, 2025.
PLEASE NOTE: All updates are subject to rapid change.
Immigration Announcement:
Supreme Court permits deportations to third countries without due process
What it Means:
The Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 23rd that, for the time being, will permit the Trump administration to deport people to third countries without the opportunity to contact a lawyer or claim fear of persecution or torture.
In dissent, Justice Sotomayor called out the administration’s defiance of previous court orders around removals to third countries and criticized other Justices for “rewarding lawlessness," writing that “the Court finds the idea that thousands will suffer violence in far-flung locales more palatable than the remote possibility that a District Court exceeded its remedial powers when it ordered the Government to provide notice and process to which the plaintiffs are constitutionally and statutorily entitled.” She added: "This is not the first time the court closes its eyes to noncompliance, nor, I fear, will it be the last.”
Supreme Court ruling signals limits on nationwide injunctions and allows Trump administration’s birthright citizenship ban to partially go into effect in 30 days
The Supreme Court has lifted a temporary halt on the Trump administration’s Executive Order to end birthright citizenship, allowing it to partially go into effect in 30 days.
The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the Executive Order is Constitutional, only that the nationwide injunction could be lifted.
In response to the ruling, 22 states and organizations, including ACLU of Maine, filed a new lawsuit to address procedural issues and to seek to protect all people in the U.S. who might be affected.
Administration terminates Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti
The Trump administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
Unless halted by the courts, the last day of protection from deportation and work permit validity for Haitian TPS holders will be September 2, 2025.
TPS is a life-saving humanitarian protection designated for an entire country when safe return is impossible. Haiti is currently characterized as one of the worst humanitarian disasters on the planet.
Human Rights Watch writes that Haiti’s “multidimensional crisis reached catastrophic levels.” The Trump administration’s analysis that Haiti is safe enough for people in the U.S. to return is absurd.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are a Haitian TPS holder in need of immigration legal assistance, request an appointment with ILAP at https://ilapmaine.org/request.
Senate parliamentarian advises that some immigration provisions must be removed from the reconciliation bill
As Congress continues to work on the reconciliation bill, referred to by the president and media as the “big, beautiful bill,” the Senate parliamentarian has advised that some of the immigration provisions would require 2/3 votes to pass and not simple majority. The budget reconciliation process is done by simple majority, meaning these provisions that the parliamentarian flagged should be removed from the bill.
One of the provisions that was removed after the parliamentarian’s determination was a $1,000 fee for asylum applications with no fee waiver. The new version of the bill has a $100 fee with no fee waiver.
Advocates were also successful in lengthening the time of work permit validity for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and parolees – the original version of the bill made work permits only valid for 6 months, the new version makes them valid for 1 year. While the asylum fee and work permit validity periods are somewhat improved, they will still pose massive barriers and obstacles to accessing asylum and being able to work.
For previous updates from ILAP, check out the links below:
June 13, 2025: Community Update
May 30, 2025: May Golden Door
ILAP in the News
Spectrum News featured an interview with Executive Director Sue Roche who shared about the toll and impact of the Trump administration's onslaught of anti-immigrant policies and actions.
Policy Director Lisa Parisio spoke with Maine Public about the insidious pattern of minor traffic stops resulting in immigration arrests and how this type of informal cooperation by local and state law enforcement is fueling the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda.
Co-Legal Director Melissa Brennan recently filed a habeas corpus petition in federal court on behalf of an ILAP client in an attempt to prevent his transfer out of state, away from long-standing legal counsel and community support. The Portland Press Herald covered the increasing prevalence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferring people in immigration detention to jails and prisons hundreds or thousands of miles away, often without notice.
The Penobscot Bay Press highlighted a benefit concert, organized by Stonington resident Geoff Warner, whose proceeds supported ILAP and another organization. ILAP was also among five community organizations to receive grants from Bates College's Harward Center for Community Partnerships to support work with immigrant communities in the Lewiston/Auburn area. Thank you, Geoff and the Harward Center!
ILAP in the Community
It was great to see so many people from across ILAP's community at Pride events this month! ILAP staff, Board, and volunteers were proud to march in Portland's Pride parade, passing out 100+ flyers with a critical action alert and sharing information about how LGBTQIA+ immigrants in Maine can get legal support from ILAP.
Big thanks to ARRT! (Artists' Rapid Response Team) for creating a beautiful new banner for ILAP to carry with pride!
Shared Voices
This month marks the start of something new — a standing space in our newsletter we’re calling Shared Voices. It’s a space to reflect on the relationships that sustain ILAP’s work.
Lately, the news has been heavy. Immigration policies continue to shift, enforcement is escalating, and families in our communities are being separated or detained. And yet, through all this, something else rises too: compassion.
In the past few weeks, we’ve received dozens of online donations. But what has stayed with us most are the messages that accompanied them. We wanted to share a few with you:
““I am so distraught by the detention of immigrants in Maine. I want them to know that Mainers stand by them.””
““ILAP has been a lifesaver for so many new Mainers. Thank you for all that you do, every single day.””
““We moved to Portland over 30 years ago because it was a diverse, welcoming community. It’s even more diverse now — and we want to keep it that way.””
These words are fuel. They remind us that our work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s held, encouraged, and made possible by people like you — people who believe in justice not as an idea, but as a practice. People who act with love, speak out with conviction, and show up with care.
We hope this new section offers a small window into the community you’re helping to build. A reminder that you are part of something bigger.
Thank You for Thinking About the Future
We are so grateful to those who are considering a planned gift to ILAP. Your support ensures that Maine’s immigrant communities continue to have access to life-changing legal services for years to come.
Even a small bequest or beneficiary designation can make a profound difference. If you’d like to learn more, we’re here to help. Reach out to Marjorie Hankla at mhankla@ilapmaine.org.
