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Immigration

Pingree Condemns ‘Cruel’ GOP Immigration Bill, Says It Will ‘Will Only Create More Chaos’

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today denounced Republicans’ immigration bill, H.R. 2, which will jail children and families indefinitely and close off pathways for people legally seeking asylum. After voting against the bill on Thursday, Pingree released the following statement: “House Republicans’ extreme immigration bill is not a solution to the influx…

Congresswoman Pingree Renews Push to Speed Up Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Process

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today reintroduced her bipartisan Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act, legislation that 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 updated legislation would also eliminate the…

$619,000 Secured by Pingree to Support Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs in Maine

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Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center

The Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (GPIWC) will now have the funds needed to launch acomprehensive entrepreneurial leadership training program for immigrant women and girls in Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) announced today. Secured through Community Project Funding in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill, $619,000 will help GPIWC create and launch their…

Pingree, House Pass Bill to Protect Veterans from Deportation

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation to prevent the deportation of veterans. The Veteran Service Recognition Act (H.R. 7946) makes the naturalization process easier for active duty servicemembers, establishes a review process for non-citizen veterans, servicemembers, and their families, and creates an opportunity…

Reps. Pingree, Escobar Urge DHS to Shorten Wait Time for Work Authorization for Asylum Applicants

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Today, U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) led a letter to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas urging the agency to shorten the wait time for work authorization for asylum applicants.    The letter, signed by nine additional Members, comes as border communities face an increase in migrant…

Pingree Joins Congressional Push for DOJ Investigation into Cruel GOP Migrant Flights

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MV Migrant Flights

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) joined 46 of her Congressional colleagues in calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a Department of Justice investigation into the cruel Republican migrant flights. Their letter, led by Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), follows reports that the…

Following Damning Report from Maine Immigrant Groups, Pingree Urges Homeland Security to Investigate Instances of Bias at Boston Asylum Office

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WASHINGTON, DC–Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) joined six of her congressional colleagues in writing to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG), urging it to open a formal review of the Boston Asylum Office operated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The letter cites a recent report, Lives in Limbo: How…

Following Push from Pingree, Biden Admin Expands Protections for Individuals Affected by USCIS Work Permit Backlog

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Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) welcomed the announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants’ work permits will be automatically extended for 540 days, as opposed to 180 days. The extension, effective May 4, 2022, is intended to help avoid gaps in employment for…

Pingree, 61 Colleagues Urge Pres. Biden to Increase & Expedite Acceptance of Ukraine Refugees

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Refugees enter Romania

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and 61 House colleagues today wrote directly to President Biden, urging the administration to quickly ratchet up America’s acceptance of refugees from Ukraine as Russian forces lay waste to Ukraine and displace millions. “We ask your administration to take several necessary steps to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian people and a robust…

After Push by Rep. Pingree, Biden Admin. Extends Protections for South Sudanese

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WASHINGTON, DC—Following a push from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and 34 Members of Congress, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan has been redesignated and extended for 18 months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday. This comes as South Sudan experiences new and escalating armed conflict, devastation from environmental…

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