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Immigration

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

| Posted in Press Releases

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

| Posted in Press Releases

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…

Pingree Urges Biden Admin. to Extend Protections for South Sudanese Amid Continued Humanitarian Crises

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WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) led a group of 34 Members of Congress in urging President Joe Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to extend and redesignate South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), safeguarding the lives of both current TPS holders and South Sudanese who have arrived in the United States since 2016.…

Pingree, 60+ House Members Call On Biden To Increase US Refugee Admissions Programs Cap As Continued Evacuation Is Promised

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and 66 of her colleagues in the House, led by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to expand efforts to welcome Afghan refugees into the United States.  In the letter, the lawmakers call on Biden to provide humanitarian parole to Afghans in need, including to the…

VIDEO: In House Appropriations Committee, Pingree Secures Provision to Issue Additional H-2B Visas

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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today advanced an increase in the number of H-2B visas through an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill. The provision would give DHS the authority to add up to 64,716 additional visas in FY2022 which could nearly double the number of H-2B visas available next year to seasonal businesses in Maine…

Pingree, Golden Call on DHS to Safely Re-Open the U.S.-Canadian Border

| Posted in Press Releases

 Today, Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Jared Golden (ME-02) joined a group of members of Congress from New England border states urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to safely reopen the U.S.-Canadian border.  “Since the land border between the United States and Canada was closed on March 21, 2020, families have been divided, tourists…

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