PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland City Council has voted 5-4 to continue providing General Assistance aid to asylum seekers for at least a year.
The vote came early Thursday morning, after an 8-hour long meeting filled with hours of public testimony.
The council approved a proposal put forth by Councilors David Brenerman and Justin Costa. The vote will continue aid for the current asylum seekers for one year at an estimated cost of $329,000 per month.
Hundreds of supporters of the measure gathered outside City Hall before the meeting to express concern over the 1,000 people that would have been impacted if the funding was not approved.
Caroline Losneck contributed to this story.
