A Message From Our Executive Director

There is no sugar coating it: our democracy, Constitution, and the rule of law are under attack. Their survival depends upon all of us learning the truth, standing up, speaking out, and pushing back.

The Administration’s attack on democracy has started with denying due process rights to our most vulnerable communities. Immigration is at the center of this strategy. Immigrants in Maine and across the nation are being taken from their families, jobs, and communities. They are being arrested and detained illegally, subjected to new and unlawful executive orders, and transferred across the country without notice, to evade access to counsel and the due process of a court hearing.

As this is happening, the Administration is using false narratives to demonize immigrants, hoping to convince the public that, somehow, they do not deserve to be treated humanely. But our country was founded on the idea that everyone deserves fair and humane treatment, and our legal system was set up to enforce that ideal.

At ILAP we stand in solidarity with Maine’s immigrant communities, and along with so many others, we are pushing back for our clients in court, in the legislature, and in the media. We know that Maine and the country are better and stronger when we welcome immigrants into our communities and allow them to thrive.

While a fight at the national level is imperative, we are also pushing back here at home. ICE lacks the capacity to succeed in their mass deportation plan without the voluntary assistance of local law enforcement. We have seen dozens of Mainers, including children and parents, swept up by ICE after being stopped by local law enforcement for minor traffic infractions. ILAP and our partner organizations are fighting back against this here in Maine, and you can push back in your community too.

Read more in this newsletter about ILAP’s legal and advocacy work, and what you can do to help fight back during these challenging times.

Thank you for your partnership.

SUE ROCHE
Executive Director