ADVOCACY
ILAP’s systemic advocacy is aimed at ensuring that Maine and the U.S. have laws and policies that create a hospitable and just environment for immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members. In December, 2005, ILAP founded the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition (MIRC), bringing together allies such as Centro Latino Maine, Center for Prevention of Hate Violence, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, the Maine Council of Churches, Maine Migrant Health Program, Maine Peoples Alliance, NAACP Portland Branch, Peace Action Maine, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Tengo Voz, and others to work together and identify issues affecting Maine’s immigrant communities and to advocate collectively for solutions. This collaboration helps address immigrant issues in a holistic and comprehensive way.In addition to founding MIRC, ILAP's advocacy efforts have been instrumental to achieving many policy changes in Maine, for example:
- Revision of procedures manuals within various state agencies to ensure Maine’s immigrants will not be erroneously denied driver’s licenses or safety net benefits they need, due to outdated or inaccurate immigration information in the manuals.
- Improved access for individuals with limited English language skills to Maine’s courts through work with the Maine Judicial Branch.
- Defeat of a proposal to eliminate safety net public benefits to elderly and disabled immigrants and refugees by providing critical information to Maine’s Legislature.
- Passage of a Portland ordinance preventing City employees from asking about immigration status unless otherwise required by State or Federal law.
- Working in collaboration with the NAACP, the Center for Prevention of Hate Violence, and Tengo Voz: creation of an Executive Order that prevents employees of most state agencies from asking about immigration status unless otherwise required by State or Federal law.
- Passage of a state statute to address human trafficking in Maine, creating criminal penalties for traffickers and civil remedies for trafficking victims (frequently immigrants).
- Passage of Maine’s first law addressing Bias-based profiling.
ILAP also advocates for positive changes to our immigration and related laws at the national level. Please join us in this effort.