FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland – Today organizations that work with immigrants and advocate for immigrant rights called on the state to rethink a proposal to move the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) building to a remote location in South Portland. News reports have indicated that it would take a 40 minute bus ride or a $17 cab ride to reach the proposed site from downtown Portland, where many of those who utilize DHHS services live and work. The move would have an adverse effect on the ability of new immigrants to access DHHS for services such as assistance securing employment and housing, according to the Coalition.
"Like other Mainers who live in Portland and do not have a car or the money for bus or taxi fare, our refugee and immigrant clients who need access to DHHS will face significant barriers if the building is moved to South Portland. Although many clients do not receive benefits from DHHS, some need assistance to get on their feet when they are new to the country,” said Sue Roche, the Executive Director of Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. “Individuals who are most vulnerable, in particular those who are disabled or single mothers with children who may not have a support system, might forgo the important benefits that their families need to be safe and healthy. This further isolates them and makes it more difficult for their children to succeed in school and for them to become participating members in our community. Not only is this bad for our clients but it is bad for Portland and for Maine."
Governor LePage recently expressed concern about the challenges new immigrants face and barriers they need help overcoming to secure employment. Relocating the DHHS Office to South Portland will create more barriers for immigrants who are trying to stabilize their lives in a new home. Temporary help is often necessary while immigrants learn the language, become familiar with the culture, and find employment. This move will make that help inaccessible, making it even more difficult for new Mainers to gain employment and education.
“DHHS has a responsibility to serve people seeking to access services, and the proposed move would be shortsighted and impractical. Immigrants who rely on these services to integrate into the community and secure employment will be particularly affected”, said Antoine Bikamba, from the Portland immigrant community.
Adele Ngoy, a Congolese immigrant living in Portland said, "We are deeply concerned about the impact that this relocation would have on women and their children. Women are often the ones bearing the responsibility of meeting their families’ basic needs while also caring for their children. Making it harder to reach the DHHS office makes it harder for women to meet those responsibilities without causing an unnecessary hardship for them and their children.”
Members of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition calling on the state to instead consider locations in downtown Portland include:
ACLU of Maine
Burundi Community Association
Community Financial Literacy
Congolese Community of Maine
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
Maine Association of New Americans
Maine Equal Justice Partners
Maine Immigrant Women Roundtable
Maine People’s Alliance
Maine State Interpreters
Maine Women’s Lobby
NAACP
Rwanda Community Association
Somali Culture and Development Association
Southern Maine Workers’ Center
Sudanese Families
Welcoming Immigrants Network
Women Around the World
