Gov. Janet Mills stated her administration is continuous to work with Portland-area officers to assist home an inflow of asylum seekers to Maine. However the governor can be calling for complete immigration reform on the federal stage.
The Mills administration has been below stress to do extra to assist communities struggling to deal with a rising variety of asylum seekers — lots of them households — from sub-Saharan Africa. Late final month, after being accused by Portland elected officers of not doing sufficient, the administration stated it could open an emergency shelter in Portland and was getting ready further housing for asylum seekers within the space.
Talking Thursday throughout a discussion board held by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Mills famous that her administration labored with the Legislature to put aside $22 million in the newest price range for an emergency housing reduction program. Mills stated a few of that cash may very well be used to assist cowl the prices of non permanent resort rooms for asylum seekers.
However Mills stated what is actually wanted is for the federal authorities to enhance the immigration and asylum processes.
“Within the long-term, what’s vital is complete immigration reform on the federal stage to expedite evaluation of functions of asylum seekers and expedite work authorization to allow them to work,” Mills stated throughout remarks to the breakfast discussion board. “We want the workforce right here. We would like them to be out there for work. A few of them include unimaginable expertise and experiences that we will make use of.”
A latest report discovered that the Boston asylum workplace authorized simply 16 p.c of functions, in contrast with 28 p.c nationally.
This text seems by a media partnership with Maine Public.