The Portland City Council is calling on Gov. Janet Mills to enact a 60-day eviction moratorium in the wake of recent immigration enforcement operations in Maine.
The council Monday night unanimously approved a resolution in support of families who have been afraid or unable to go to work during the recent immigration surge and who may have trouble making rent.
"Among them are families that have been forced into hiding and households that have been abducted by ICE." said Julie O'Boyle with the Portland Tenants Union, which gathered more than 650 signatures urging the council to pass the resolution. "Without work for even a few weeks, or with half of their income taken away, most families will quickly struggle to pay bills, buy food or keep a roof over their heads.
City Councilor Ben Grant said he was initially skeptical of a moratorium, because it would require the governor to declare a state of emergency.
"I'm not going to let those nuances get in the way of what I want to be clear is my unambiguous support for the notion that this community steps up for the people in danger right now," he said.
The council also agreed to sign onto a lawsuit that other cities around the country have filed challenging recent federal immigration enforcement actions.
Portland Mayor Mark Dion said that doesn't mean the city will become a plaintiff. But the city can describe its own experiences with recent ICE activity and sign onto amicus briefs in support of litigation against federal immigration enforcement, Dion said.
