Guide to resources for immigrants in Maine
Charlie Williams, manager of Food For All, moves boxes at the Walton Street location in Portland.
In recent months, members of Maine immigrant communities have been picked up and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the street, at work, at home and at the ICE processing facility in Scarborough.
ICE agents have remained in the state since its presence surged in the beginning of the year, when more that 200 people were arrested in less than a week in what ICE dubbed “Operation Catch of the Day” — with a stated goal of detaining 1,400 people in Maine.
It’s not clear how many people ICE has detained to date in Maine. Spokespeople for ICE did not respond to questions asking for a number.
In June, immigration advocates reported a rising number of calls to a hotline and steadily climbing reports of enforcement and detentions.
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“We have seen a noticeable increase in demand for immigration legal services over the past year, with the demand becoming more pronounced in the last six months and continuing to grow in the last three months,” said Charles Mugabe, the director of refugee & immigration services for Catholic Charities Maine. “Increased immigration enforcement and policy changes have created significant uncertainty, including among people who have lawful immigration status.”
This past year, ICE grew its Maine staff by 44%. In July, a newly recruited ICE agent in Biddeford shot and killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who didn’t have a criminal history and wasn’t the agents’ intended target.
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Immigrant families have had to figure out how to make ends meet when their primary wage earners are detained or afraid to leave their homes. Here are some organizations providing resources and assistance to new Mainers.
LEGAL
Maine Equal Justice, maineequaljustice.org
This nonprofit civil legal aid and economic justice organization can provide legal help with immigrant eligibility for public benefits to people whose incomes are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. The website includes a guide to help immigrants figure out what programs they might be eligible for, such as food assistance and MaineCare.
Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project, vlp.org
This group of dedicated volunteer attorneys helps people in need of legal assistance with civil matters, including immigrant family preparedness. They are unable to help with emergency matters, criminal law and some other types of cases.
LighthouseME, lighthouseme.org
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Mufalo Chitam, executive director of Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition, speaks at an event in Portland to announce the launch of a new website to map and track local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
The Maine Immigrant Defense Hub, organized in partnership between the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and Presente!, provides resources and data for immigrants in Maine through a platform called LighthouseME. The platform doesn’t provide legal advice or ongoing direct services, but individuals can call the Maine Immigrant Defense Hotline (207-544-9989) to be connected to resources, report ICE sightings and find information. The resource hub also provides information about knowing your rights, status and how to support people detained by ICE, translated into other languages like Spanish and Portuguese.
Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP), ilapmaine.org
Hope Acts, a nonprofit that supports new Mainers has recently partnered with Maine Immigrant’s Right Coalition and the Portland Public Library to help with navigating the asylum-seeking process. Led by Hope Acts’ Serge Asumani, interpreters and volunteers help asylum seekers access the correct documents and share in-language instructions provided by the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP), offering materials and language interpretation so applicants can successfully submit their asylum applications.
This Portland- and Lewiston-based nonprofit provides free or low cost direct legal services for Maine’s immigrant communities including representation for complex cases, assistance navigating immigration forms and applications and other consultations. The legal aid organization helps new Mainers work through the asylum process, defends those held in detention facing deportation and provides relief for immigrant youth.
The availability of intake appointments and types of cases they accept depend on the caseload of the staff and the number or people requesting help. To request emergency immigration help, you can email [email protected] in any language. The organization also hosts open hours each month where legal staff answer emergency or brief questions for those who don’t have a scheduled appointment. The schedule for September is posted on the website.
Catholic Charities of Maine Refugee and Immigration Services, ccmaine.org
Its Immigration Legal Services is one of the two organizations in Greater Portland recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice to have accredited legal representatives to represent clients in processes through the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services, focusing on helping people acquire citizenship or green cards, navigate family reunification petitions and request fee waivers or interpretation services.
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No one will be turned away due to inability to pay, according to the website. Their capacity is limited, so interested and eligible parties are encouraged to call 207-560-7689 or email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist, which is currently 12 months. Include your first, middle and last name, what languages you speak, phone number and what services they need help with.
This group does not represent clients in immigration court. It does provide employment assistance, health and medical resources, transportation support and connections to other community resources.
City of Portland Immigration Legal Aid Clinic, portlandmaine.gov
The city’s office of Economic Opportunity hosts a free virtual legal aid clinic on the second Thursday of the month and some Tuesdays from noon to 5 p.m. Individuals can sign up for one-hour slots to speak with volunteer lawyers about family based immigration, diversity visa lottery, work permits, temporary protected status, becoming a U.S. citizen and establishing permanent residents. Lawyers cannot help with questions related to asylum. Free interpretation services are available, and people can sign up for appointments up to two months in advance.
University of Maine School of Law Refugee and Human Rights Clinic, mainelaw.edu
Every semester, six to eight law school students – with professor supervision – provide direct legal representation and advocacy for new Mainers. Clients include asylum seekers, immigrant survivors of domestic violence and youth seeking legal status.
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The student attorneys talk to individuals about their cases, inform them of their rights, provide guidance for next steps and connect clients with other organizations.
HOUSING
Greater Portland Family Promise, gpfamilypromise.org
Family Promise provides prevention, shelter, stabilization and housing services to help families experiencing homelessness and low-income families. Some of their services include move-in support, financial assistance, food and diaper distribution and help finding a place to live. There are many ways to donate to Family Promise, and their website also includes a wishlist of items they consistently need.
Project Home, qualityhousingcoalition.org
This branch of the Quality Housing Coalition provides rental assistance and eviction prevention to tenants who have experienced homelessness or are housing insecure.
Victoria Morales, executive director of Project Home, photographed in 2024. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
It typically works with about 400 families annually, but in the first month of 2026, the group received hundreds of requests for rent and mortgage assistance from Maine immigrant households, many of whom had a sudden loss of income because primary earners were afraid to go to work.
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The group raised emergency funds to provide rental assistance, although that campaign has since closed.
Hope Acts, hopeacts.org
This organization provides transitional housing for asylum seekers in Portland as well as other services to help new Mainers settle into life here. It provides work permit assistance and other walk-in services on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m and housing search support on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Fridays by appointment.
Furniture Friends, furniturefriends.org
PORTLAND, ME – September 16: Junior Mavezo carries chairs into his familyÕs apartment as he helps Furniture Friends make their delivery Friday, September 16, 2022. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
This nonprofit based in Westbrook gives donated furniture to people who can’t afford it in Southern Maine. After the furniture is donated by community members, hotels, restaurants, furniture stories and others, Furniture Friends cleans and redistributes it to families in the Greater Portland area. It is funded through individual donors, fundraising events and grants and provides bedroom, living room, dining room and other furniture. To receive furniture, people must be referred by a participating social service agency or other partners.
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OTHER ASSISTANCE
Maine Needs, maineneeds.org
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Volunteer Heidi Larson puts clothing in a bag while filling a request at Maine Needs in Portland in November of 2024. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
This group distributes basic necessities like toiletries and clothes to those who are experiencing financial hardship, including newly arrived immigrant families. They put together and deliver different kinds of kits, like a hygiene kit with soap, lotion and deodorant and a clearing kit with toilet paper, trash bags and all purpose spray. The kits are available all over the state.
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, maineimmigrantrights.org
The nonprofit partners with more than 100 organizations in the state that provides legal, social and economic resources for immigrants in the state. The group has compiled a list of resources, including groups that provide legal, health and housing assistance.
Presente!, presentemaine.org
This nonprofit focuses on providing food, health access and other support to new Mainers in Greater Portland. Volunteer drivers and community health workers drop off food boxes in Portland, South Portland and Westbrook twice a month.
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The group transitioned to door-to-door delivery instead of a market-style distribution because some members of the immigrant community were afraid to leave their homes and gather in public for fear of detention.
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New Mainers Resource Center, mmrcmaine.org
The New Mainers Resource Center provides free services to internationally trained and skilled immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees to help them enter the U.S. workforce. It connects immigrants with employers and provides workforce readiness services like licensing and credentialing support, workshops, networking opportunities and case management.
Those looking for help with the job search can fill out an intake form. The center’s website also has a guide with many other resources, including food services, counseling and safety services and employment help.
Food for All Services, foodforallservices.org
Khadija Ahmed, left, president of Food For All, and Charlie Williams, the manager, at their Walton Street location in Portland in June 2024. (Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer)
The nonprofit provides culturally meaningful and Halal food to families facing food insecurity. They run a free pantry, a grocery store, Halal school meal network and mosque-based distribution. Food boxes are assembled by volunteers and transported to families in need throughout the region. The organization is always looking for donations and volunteers.
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Project Relief Maine, projectreliefme.com
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This Black immigrant-led mutual aid group, which is not a nonprofit, provides resources to families who are impacted by ICE. They provide rental assistance, groceries, transportation support, legal assistance and cover other emergency expenses that arise when a family member is detained.
Capital Area New Mainers Project, newmainersproject.org
This project based in Augusta provides housing assistance, English language support, educational resources, emergency financial assistance and community integration programs to immigrants and refugees in central Maine. People can request support online. The project describes itself as the only organization in central Maine focused specifically on immigrant needs, and relies on community support and donations to continue its work.
MidCoast New Mainers Group, midcoastnewmainers.org
This nonprofit public benefit corporation connects new Mainers with community members, creates opportunities for cultural exchange and provides resources. It collaborates with other immigrant organizations to help settle immigrants locally. Some of the services they provide include scholarships, transportation assistance and cultural education. People can donate to the organization online.
Scholarships for Maine Immigrants, smischolarships.org
Immigrants living in York, Cumberland or Androscoggin County can apply for scholarships to gain English language and career skills through Scholarships for Maine Immigrants (SMI), previously the Portland ESL Scholarship Fund. The nonprofit organization helps cover the cost of attending English and other classes for hundreds of immigrants. The application can be found online. They also accept donations on their website.
COMMUNITY GROUPS
There are identity-based Facebook groups to help connect Angolan, Afghan, Burundi, Cambodian, Congolese, Somali, and Asian communities in Maine.
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Tagged: immigrants, immigration, nonprofit, public service
Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate. More by Dana Richie
Salomé Cloteaux is a community reporter covering Scarborough and Westbrook. She was born in France but lived in Indiana for most of her life before moving to Portland in November 2025. Salomé has a degree. More by Salomé Cloteaux
