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#WeAreMaine
When we strengthen our immigrant community, we strengthen Maine. Your generous donations help us make our state a place where we can all thrive.
Thank you to our donors!
Randi Greenwald Barbara Shaw Jonathan Quist Abigail Wheeler Lindsay Murray Amelia Hagen Ann Cox Halkett Ellen Murphy John Messer Reginald Groff Crystal Cron Sally Sutton Harris Gleckman Mary Lou Michael Nsiona Nguizani Derek Turnbull Lynn McGovern Melissa Hackett Molly O'Connell Kate Manahan Kerem Durag Amy Miller Brian Taintor Anja Hanson Aidan Richman Sabrina Pearson Erika Lindstrom Maeve Shea K. Shawna Ohm Claire Brady Miriam Rimkunas Stephan Bailey Carlton Parsons Kristina Yurko Joe Albert Alli Winkelman Evan Cuddy Megan Burby Gretel Williams Misha Barker Alexander Bartone Rudolph Guliani Lisa Tapert Emma Wendt Eiligh Orff Clare LaVergne Julianne Gilland Meredith Clark Keri Lupien Kristin Majeska Heather Meader Aaron Duffey Josephine Gillet Hannah Ackerman Reva Eiferman Hannah Duston Ian Yaffe Grace Gilbert Erin Breau Anastasia Azenaro-Moore Brenda Kissane Chris Furbay Thomas Aichele Emily Bell-Hoerth Kathy Kilrain del Rio Sarah Brydon Elizabeth Andrews Louise Thomas Michaela Cavallaro Claire Donnelly Mariah Richards Amanda Sprague Anne Wood Ellen Baum Cara Ryan Gillian Schair Seth Rigoletti Christopher Vermilion Margo Wood Andrew Patterson Leslie Hudson Laurie Tolman Scot Orchow Stephanie Merrill Thomas Lowell Hildegard Prigge Sharon Chamberlain Celeste Mittelhauser Meghan Quigley Lisa Bloss Jane Gallagher Samantha Piro Frank Green Laurie Osher Sarah Lewis Susan Roche Nancy Button Patricia O'Toole Celeste Mittelhauser Karen Burke Mark Mandel Elizabeth Tener Casey McKeown Zoe Armstrong John Shoos Anne & Robert O'Brien Emily Connelly Mitchell & Martha Stein Anne Fowler Michael Lee Emilie Sommer Emma White Matt Cannon Janet Drew Eugenia Sawin Nicola Chin Anderson Hoke Portland Rising Diversified Communications Space Gallery MEBIC Anne Marie Polanski Karen Tcheyan Samantha Piro John Ochira Ethan Kiermaier Martha Stein Charles Gauvin Robert Kelley Whitney Hess David Das Jane and Whit Gallagher Caryn Biggert Emilie Swenson John Kyte Amy, Ethan, and Sally Minton Anne Fowler Marika Marland Meredith Kendall Elizabeth Townsend Jeremy Chase Gretchen Stanton Paul Meinersmann Jeanine McAdam Carolyn Newhouse Kathy Kilrain del Rio Alysia Ricker Gaia Cloutier Violet Bemis Maggie Hess
Join MIRC
To become a member of our coalition, please fill out our member application form. MIRC’s Governance Committee Members with staff will review your application to ensure you meet membership criteria and recommend it for a board vote.
Advocate
Our greatest strength is the diversity and mutual support of our coalition members. MIRC is most successful when we advocate for continued leadership within individual communities from both member organizations and immigrant leaders. We strive to advance systemic change and equity in Maine by making immigrant voices heard in state and city policy.
Local Level
Housing Solutions • Transportation • Health Equity • Language Access • Education • Food Security
State Level
Housing • Healthcare Access • Civil Rights • Workforce and Economic Development • Driver’s License Access • MaineCare Expansion (All Means All!) • General Assistance Reforms • Paid Family and Medical Leave • Professional Credentialing & Licensing • Racial Equity • Funding Access for Ethnic Community-Based Organizations • Language Access • Community-Led Needs Assessments • ELL / Adult Education • Juvenile Justice Reform • Vaccine Equity • Childcare Availability • Digital Equity • Job Training • Standing with the Wabanaki
Federal Level
Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act • Afghan Adjustment Act • Reducing the USCIS Backlog • Protecting DACA • Pathways to Citizenship • Universal Representation • Refugee Protection Act • Lifting the Five Year Bar • Protection for Ukrainians, Afghans, and Other Displaced Persons • Climate Migration and Environmental Justice • Adoptee Citizenship Act
Past Policy
Policy Name: Final Public Charge Rule
Overview: The “Public Charge” test has been part of federal immigration law for decades. It is designed to identify people who may depend on government benefits as their main source of support. If the government determines someone is likely to become a “public charge,” the government can deny admission to the U.S. or refuse an application for lawful permanent residency.
Actions: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Proposed Changes to the Public Charge Rule
Policy Name: Maine’s General Assistance Rule #22E – Access for Certain Non-Citizens
Overview: On June 18th Gov. Janet Mills announced she is relaxing restrictions on General Assistance eligibility to allow more asylum seekers to qualify for the welfare benefits, reversing a LePage administration policy in response to a recent surge in migrants.
Actions: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) published the new rules and you can find them here.
Past Legislature
Bills that MIRC supported that were successful:
i. LD 1841: Working group to study/make recommendations to lower credentialing barriers
(this bill sprang from LD 532 & LD 769 which MIRC supported.)
ii. LD 1685: Revolving loan fund to pay for expenses directly related to helping those waiting for their initial work permits to be more work ready, such as translation and evaluation fees of education/experience credentials, TOEFL exam fees, driver’s license fee etc.
iii. LD 1596: Bill giving district courts jurisdiction over some 18,19, & 20 year old immigrant youth who have been abused, neglected or abandoned, to get special findings that will help them get permanent residency in the U.S.
iv. LD 1475: Bill requiring all law enforcement agencies to have policies prohibiting bias-based profiling, training officers, studying how to collect data to be able to understand the scope of the problem
v. LD 777: Establishing a Permanent Commission on the status of racial, indigenous and Tribal populations in Maine, including immigrants as part of focus.
Bills that MIRC opposed that were successfully defeated:
i. Bills to amend the constitution to prohibit noncitizen voting in local elections.
ii. Mandatory E-Verify for all employers in Maine
iii. Lockman’s bill to require state/local police to do immigration law enforcement – never brought to a vote on the floor.
Bills that MIRC supported that were carried over to next year:
i. LD 647: The bill that would have added funding for adult ESOL classes, for combined job skills/ESOL classes at worksites, for the NMRC and for a new Welcome Center in Lewiston, and planning grants for communities that want to attract and retain immigrants.
Stay Informed
We regularly update our supporters about important upcoming policy, advocacy opportunities, news, announcements, and much more. Join our mailing list to stay up to date with all things MIRC!
