Former Asylum Seekers Are Concerned That Portland Can’t Guarantee Shelter to New Arrivals

The city of Portland says they no longer have capacity in their shelters and hotels, informing federal immigration authorities that they can no longer guarantee shelter to new asylum seekers arriving in the city.

Asylum seekers and former asylum seekers are concerned about how this will affect their community.

“I know they are overwhelmed, beyond capacity, but instead of sending people back, there are many other solutions to take,” said Heritier Nosso, a former asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He worries that it could discourage people from seeking refuge in Maine, choosing to seek asylum in other states. He says this isn’t would impact, not just asylum seekers, but the whole state.

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{snip}First and foremost, he hopes Maine will continue to be a welcoming state.

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