Heading into the new year, a top priority for immigration advocates in Maine is the creation of the state-level Office of New Americans, aimed at incorporating immigrants into the workforce. Some groups also want the new entity to help coordinate resettlement efforts.
Eighteen other states have similar agencies, known together as the Office of New Americans State Network.
Last summer, Gov. Janet Mills directed her administration to join them, by creating an office that would support the "long-term economic and civic integration of immigrants in Maine," citing Maine's goal of attracting 75,000 people to the workforce by 2029.
The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition wrote in a memo it wants the office to gather reliable data on immigrant communities, including demographic information, an inventory of professional skills, and a mechanism for tracking the progress of families and individuals through the legal process of seeking asylum.
The Coalition also wants the Office to help address the immediate needs for new immigrants, including shelter and access to health care.
The Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future is directed to submit a plan for the new office by Jan. 19.
