08/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/29/2024 07:38
Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today welcomed news that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is allocating $5.4 million through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) for Maine. This funding, announced today as part of a $380 million nationwide allocation, will help support Maine communities that are providing critical support such as food, shelter, clothing, acute medical care, and transportation to noncitizens recently released from DHS custody and awaiting their immigration court proceedings.
"With an aging population and a growing need for new residents, Maine has welcomed our new neighbors with open arms. However, the influx has also placed considerable strain on local resources, particularly in cities like Portland, which have borne the brunt of these challenges. FEMA's Shelter and Services Program is the only federal funding available to help our local governments and nonprofits supporting new arrivals. This funding is critical to providing the necessary support as they begin to build new lives in our state," Pingree said. "While this allocation will certainly help, more must be done. I will continue to work not only to protect federal funding for SSP, but advocate for additional resources and flexibility in federal programs like the SSP to better meet the unique needs of new arrivals and the communities that support them. Until Congress passes my bipartisan bill to ensure asylum seekers can work and support themselves more quickly, these programs are more important than ever."
"Our community's most vulnerable members face the interconnected challenges of food insecurity, housing instability, and lack of transportation," said Liz Cotter Schlax, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Maine. "United Way is grateful to be able to access these Federal resources on behalf of our neighbors and the organizations serving them directly."
This announcement follows Pingree's consistent efforts to secure and expand funding for the SSP. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pingree supported an amendment to fund the SSP in the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. As it stands, House Republicans' bill does not include any funding for the SSP, $650 million below the FY2024 enacted level.
Pingree, alongside Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, has pushed to expand the eligibility period for SSP aid, which currently limits support to asylum seekers for only 45 days after their release from DHS custody.
Pingree's bipartisan Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act reduces the current 180-day waiting period for work authorization eligibility to 30 days, allowing an asylum seeker to apply for authorization as soon as the asylum claim is filed. The legislation would also eliminate the cumbersome 2-year renewal schedule. The bill makes no changes to law or regulation relating to the asylum process, but would have a significant impact on new asylum seekers in Maine-allowing them to gain work more quickly, become self-sufficient through the process of establishing roots in their new community, and contribute to our economy.
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