In a recent press conference, House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham asked, “How many asylum seekers have come to Maine? … What is the plan going forward?” In another recent presentation by legislative Republicans at the State House, one “solution” they proposed was to “move asylum seekers through the system as quickly as possible.” Other ideas they mentioned included “remove language barriers,” “more coordination,” and “expand opportunities in agricultural and trades industries.”

We at the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition completely agree!

Thankfully, L.D. 2167 — bipartisan legislation from Rep. Deqa Dhalac to create a Maine Office of New Americans — would address these concerns. One of the assigned duties of the new office would be “collecting and analyzing relevant data.” Another would be “coordinating with all relevant local, state, and federal government agencies.” The Office of New Americans would also be charged with “undertaking and promoting activities that improve the economic and civic integration of immigrants into the State’s workforce and communities.”

A final point of the bill language I will highlight is “expanding, improving, and increasing access to English language learning programs.” Moreover, if you are looking for better data, planning, coordination, English language training, and workforce opportunities, pass L.D. 2167.

One aspect of the bill we like is that it does not distinguish between types or categories of immigrants. Maine has a long history of immigrants making our state a better place and contributing to our economy. From the Irish and Franco-Americans who worked in mill towns in the 19th century, to Lebanese and Syrians who came to the Kennebec Valley over a hundred years ago, to the farmworkers from Latin American who make eastern Maine the state’s agricultural hub, to the Somali and Sudanese refugees who arrived in southern Maine a generation ago, to Congolese and Angolan asylum seekers who are our state’s newest arrivals, these diverse immigrant communities have driven our state forward. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services found that refugees and asylees contributed over $120 billion to the U.S. economy between 2005-2019. With appropriate planning and staffing, the Office of New Americans could play a role in better state-level coordination for years to come to help harness this economic vitality.

Those are some of the good things in the bill; however, it should also be noted what is not in the bill. There is nothing about building or funding new housing. There is nothing about providing shelter services. There is nothing about changing the immigration status of people who live here. There is no target number or goal of immigrants to move here. All these claims have erroneously been made by people who have not actually read the bill, which is instead focused on the long-term civic and economic integration of immigrants into the state’s workforce, as the bill language states repeatedly.

Immigration policy at the national level is such a charged, polarizing issue. The recent breakdown of several months’ worth of bipartisan negotiations in Congress is just the latest example in decades of inaction. Recent polls have shown that immigration is the most prominent partisan issue heading into the 2024 election season. For organizations like mine who follow federal policies, it often seems like nothing will ever get done because of how toxic the national political environment is right now.

Yet it does not have to be like that in Maine. Last year, a bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor asking for expedited work authorization for asylum seekers. In DC, three-quarters of Maine’s congressional delegation (a Republican, a Democrat, and an independent!) have sponsored federal legislation on the same topic. Working together is possible, it just happens to be increasingly rare in Congress.

The real solutions are happening at the state level, away from the national TV cameras. If L.D. 2167 is passed, Maine would become the 19th state to join the national Office of New Americans Network. With such an office, we could get things like data collection and long-term civic economic integration, ideas that both sides can agree with.

A team from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future held several listening and information gathering sessions around the state last fall, demonstrating an impressive level of community involvement already. Their findings led to the plan referenced in L.D. 2167.

The Office of New Americans offers another opportunity for Mainers to come together for common-sense solutions.

Copy the Story Link