Check out our policy demands in response to the killing in Biddeford for local, state, and federal officials, together with the strategies communities can use to press for them HERE.
Find our advocacy petitions and letter-writing campaign on Action Network.
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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.
Advocacy Work!
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.
MIRC operates at the intersection of policy, service provision, and community organizing to ensure that immigrants can thrive in Maine.
MIRC will assist our community members in making sure they have the training and talking point support they need to lead these meetings and connect with their representatives.
Key Takeaways
- Resource Accessibility: Significant strides were made towards protecting and creating equitable access to resources like General assistance, SNAP, and TANF.
- Key bills aimed at protecting against discrimination saw both successes and challenges.
Office of New Americans: The establishment of an Office of New Americans will institutionalize the state’s support for immigrant communities, centralizing resources and policy initiatives aimed at improving integration and economic opportunity. Implementation support will be a top priority for our coalition.
MIRC’s MIRC POLICY PRIORITIES 2024 -2026 and strategies for the 132nd Maine legislature and 119th United States Congress sessions:
State Priorities and Policy Summary
- Strengthening Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Protections
- Access to Resources and Services
- Housing Access and Stability
- Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development
- Transportation Equity
Strategic Action Plan
MIRC will collaborate with Advocacy Partners to achieve our Policy Priorities through bi-monthly Policy Committee meetings and the ASWG.
Federal Legislative Policy
Overview:
The 2024 elections have pushed immigration to the forefront of all policy conversations and made the topic a hot-button issue. Maine’s federal congressional delegation has historically been responsive to its constitutions.
Actions: Immigration Policies • Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act • Afghan Adjustment Act • Reducing the USCIS Backlog • Protecting DACA • Pathways to Citizenship • Fairness to Freedom Act of 2023• Climate Migration / Environmental Justice • Adoptee Citizenship Act
Past Legislature
Overall Session Analysis 2024
Passage Rate: About 23% of the bills MIRC supported successfully became law, while 76% were carried over and or ultimately died.
i.LD 1877 / HP 1202 – An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families
Outcome: Signed by Governor on 04/12/2024.
ii. LD 2273 / HP 1462 – An Act to Establish a State Minimum Hourly Wage for Agricultural Workers. Outcome: Vetoed by Governor on 05/10/2024.
iii. LD 1337 / HP 851 – An Act to Require a Corporation That Files a Tax Return in the State to File a Tax Disclosure Statement. Outcome: Passed. Became law without the Governor's signature.
iv. LD 1877 / HP 1202 – An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families.
Outcome: Signed by Governor on 04/12/2024.
The 131st legislative session had mixed results for Maine's immigrant community. We achieved wins in housing and civil rights, but other important bills were delayed. Going forward, we will protect our victories and work with partners to encourage community members to advocate in Augusta. By connecting lived experiences with policy advocacy, we aim to create lasting change.
Office of New Americans
(v)• The Office of New Americans (ONA) is charged with “making Maine a home of opportunity for all, by welcoming and supporting immigrants to strengthen Maine’s workforce, enhance the vibrancy of Maine's communities, and build a strong and inclusive economy.” ONA will focus on strengthening English-language acquisition opportunities, building workforce pathways and support for entrepreneurs, improving coordination of organizations and entities that support immigrants, including communities, schools, and employers, engaging in federal immigration policies to benefit Maine, and improving Maine’s data about its immigrant populations.
• Outcome: Carried Over. While the bill officially died, it was picked up and enacted as a part of the Governor’s Supplemental Budget (LD 2214)
• Impact: The establishment of an Office of New Americans will institutionalize the state’s support for immigrant communities, centralizing resources and policy initiatives aimed at improving integration and economic opportunity. Implementation support will be a top priority for our coalition.
• Next Steps: 25 MIRC Members and Partners submitted testimony. We will continue to work with our direct service and policy members to ensure the work of ONA is meeting its objectives and commitments to its community.
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As we enter a time of uncertainty and, for many, fear, it is important to strengthen our partnerships and utilize our networks to support the communities we serve. Direct service providers responding to needs in the community and policy partners with expertise in government resources will work closer together to bring credible information directly to communities.
