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A new development in Brunswick, which will initially house asylum seekers, has drawn the ire of some Republicans, who have spread false and inflammatory claims about the project.
Bangor Daily News housing reporter Zara Norman explained the project and dispelled some of the erroneous claims.
Here are two key takeaways: Asylum seekers are in the U.S. legally. Strong arguments can be made for changes to our immigration system to better screen, process and adjudicate the claims of those seeking asylum. However, blatantly calling everyone seeking asylum in the U.S. “illegal immigrants” is just plain wrong.
Second, under federal law, those seeking asylum cannot even apply for permission to work in the U.S. until at least six months after their arrival. This leaves them without a source of self-generated income and reliant on government programs and charitable help for their basic needs, including housing.
During his tenure as president, Donald Trump extended the wait time for asylum seekers to apply for work authorization to a full year. The rule was invalidated by a judge and withdrawn by the Biden administration. So, it is a bit rich for his son, Donald Trump Jr., to be criticizing Maine for helping asylum seekers when his father made their wait even longer for permission to work, which kept them reliant on help from the government and others for longer.
Rather than spreading falsehoods about asylum seekers and demonizing them, it would be much more helpful to advocate for a change in federal law to shorten the waiting time before asylum seekers can work.
Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Legislature support such a change on a bipartisan basis. So does the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represent state and national business interests. So do members of the state’s congressional delegation, who have worked for years to find a solution.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has introduced the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act in the Senate. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of the 1st District has introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives.
With the backing of the Legislature, the Mills administration has asked the U.S. Department of Labor for a waiver from the waiting period. However, there is no mechanism for the department to grant such waivers.
At a time when employers, in Maine and nationally, report ongoing difficulty finding workers, increasing the labor pool by allowing asylum seekers to work more quickly, can help ease this shortage. In addition, if they can work more quickly, these asylum seekers can become more self sufficient more quickly.
But, that’s not the current reality. So, MaineHousing and a private developer have teamed up on a new development in Brunswick that will house asylum seekers for free for up to two years. If residents do begin working, they will be responsible for paying 30 percent of their income toward rent.
So far 10 of the 24 households currently in the development have secured work authorization, according to Scott Thistle of MaineHousing. He added that about 3 percent of the money the agency has allocated across the state in the past two years has been for asylum seekers.
Those who have sought asylum in the U.S. have and will continue to be vital parts of our communities. In Maine, they work in our factories, stores, hospitals and other essential workplaces. Helping them build new lives here, before and after they are legally able to work, is a worthy investment in them and in Maine.
