Maine's Department of Labor asked the federal government Wednesday for a waiver allowing asylum seekers to find employment while their cases work their way through the system.
The Maine Department of Labor on Wednesday asked the federal government for a waiver to allow asylum seekers to take jobs while waiting on their cases to be heard. Labor Secretary Laura Fortman said the elimination of a 180-day waiting period for work permits would be good for asylum seekers who want to support themselves and for the state which is struggling with a workforce shortage. Maine’s unemployment rate was 2.7% in September.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bipartisan bill in May directing the labor commissioner to seek the waiver as resources and housing are strained by the newcomers. Portland, Maine’s largest city, has received more than 1,600 asylum seekers this year.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports separate bills sponsored by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona, to shorten the waiting period to 30 days.
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