As ICE keeps people home, leaders in Maine brace for evictions
Published by Portland Press Herald | by Andrew Rice
The mayors of Maine’s largest and most diverse cities told Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday that they are bracing for a wave of evictions next month because the federal immigration enforcement campaign has kept families out of work.
As the second week of an enlarged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence stretches on, the mayors of Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, Biddeford, Lewiston and Auburn recounted similar ways the operation has impacted daily life in their cities over the past two weeks. That includes decreased attendance at schools and workplaces, which they said is creating serious economic implications.
Portland Mayor Mark Dion said according to Project Home, a program run by the nonprofit Quality Housing Coalition, there are at least 653 households across Portland, South Portland and Westbrook that are at risk of eviction come Feb. 1. Those households account for 2,285 adults and children.
“We believe that the numbers are actually double or triple that, but these are what we know about at this moment,” Project Home said a statement citing the increased activity of ICE in the Greater Portland area.
