October arrives in Maine with unmistakable signs of change. The mornings are colder, the evenings grow darker, and the leaves begin their brilliant transformation.
I have always loved Maine’s four seasons, although I admit that I remain partial to summer. I was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the weather is generally warm throughout the year. I can appreciate a beautiful week of snowfall, but several months of snow and cold can still feel like a great deal. After living in Maine for 24 years, however, I have learned not only to endure the winter but also to recognize the exceptional beauty and character of every season.
I never imagined leaving Maine. Over the years, it has become far more than the place where I live — it has become my home, deeply rooted in my heart. I have now spent more years in Maine than I spent in my native country. Maine has shaped my life, embraced my family, and given me a profound sense of belonging that I will always cherish. Because Maine has given me so much, I have always felt a deep obligation to give back in every way I can.
Just as Maine’s seasons are changing, our state is also undergoing an important economic and demographic transition. The decisions made today will shape the opportunities available to our children and grandchildren. We must therefore look beyond the immediate political rhetoric and carefully examine what Maine’s residents, businesses, hospitals, farms, schools, and communities will need in the years ahead.
In last month’s editorial, I wrote about the fear that increased immigration enforcement activity has created within immigrant communities. I have spoken with people who worry about detention, family separation, or being returned to countries where they fear persecution. Whatever one’s political position on immigration, the human consequences of enforcement are real and deserve to be discussed seriously, honestly, and compassionately.
This month, I came across a report prepared by Wallace Economic Advisers for the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. The report, titled The Economic Contribution of Immigrants in Maine: Implications of Federal Immigration Policy Changes for Maine’s Workforce and Economy, examines the role immigrants play in Maine’s workforce and models how changes in federal immigration policy and enforcement could affect the state’s economy.
The report estimates that Maine’s foreign-born population reached approximately 56,700 residents during the 2020-2024 period, representing slightly more than 4% of the state’s population. Other research similarly shows that immigrants remain a relatively small but economically important part of Maine. The American Immigration Council estimates that immigrants make up approximately 4.6% of Maine’s labor force, while the Migration Policy Institute estimated that approximately 53,400 immigrants lived in the state as of 2023.
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Although these numbers may appear modest, the reports indicate that their economic significance is substantial. Immigrants work in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, hospitality, personal services, and many other industries that are essential to daily life in Maine. They care for older residents, produce food, build homes, operate businesses, pay taxes, and spend their earnings in local communities.
According to the Wallace report, approximately 33,000 foreign-born workers generated an estimated $2.25 billion in personal income and $177 million in state income tax revenue annually during the period examined. When the broader effects of employment and consumer spending are included, the report’s economic model estimates that immigrant employment supports tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in wages, state gross domestic product, and overall economic activity.
These findings reminded me of the questions I encountered during a 2023 visit to Aroostook County, where I participated in discussions about Maine’s long-term economic strategy. Workforce shortages — particularly in healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and agriculture — were central to those conversations. Maine’s official economic planning has repeatedly recognized that attracting and retaining workers is essential to the state’s future prosperity.
As a member of Maine’s immigrant community, I have personally witnessed how hard many immigrants work. Some hold two or even three jobs while raising families and establishing themselves in a new country. Many of the immigrants I have met are young, determined, and eager to contribute. Their work has a meaningful economic impact and the potential to help Maine meet its long-term workforce needs.
Maine’s workforce challenge is intensified by the state’s aging population and comparatively slow population growth. Maine had approximately 1.27 million residents in the 2000 Census and about 1.36 million in 2020. More recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates place the population at roughly 1.4 million. Growth has occurred, but not at a pace that eliminates concerns about retirements, workforce replacement, and the long-term sustainability of essential services.
Another issue deserving close public attention is the federal government’s proposed rule titled Employment Authorization Reform for Asylum Applicants. Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the proposal would change several rules governing employment authorization documents for people seeking asylum. The federal government describes the proposal as an effort to strengthen program integrity, protect national security, discourage fraud, and reduce pressure on the immigration system. The proposal and related public comments are available through the federal rulemaking docket.
Employer organizations and immigration advocates have raised concerns about the proposal’s potential consequences. In its formal response, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued that the proposed changes could remove legally authorized employees from the workforce and create serious uncertainty for businesses. Supporters of stronger restrictions emphasize security, enforcement, fraud prevention, and the integrity of the asylum process. Policymakers must evaluate these competing concerns using reliable evidence and a clear understanding of local labor-market conditions.
For Maine, employment authorization is not merely an abstract federal issue. When a worker unexpectedly loses authorization, the consequences can extend beyond that individual. An employer may lose a trained employee, coworkers may inherit additional responsibilities and heavier workloads, a family may lose its income, and a rural community may lose purchasing power. At the same time, any immigration system must maintain clear standards, lawful procedures, effective administration, and public confidence.
I understand this issue personally. I came to Maine in 2002 and have witnessed the determination of immigrants who work long hours, raise families, establish businesses, serve their communities, and build new lives. I have also spent years advocating for peace in the countries people are fleeing, because the best long-term outcome is a world in which no one is forced to abandon home to escape war, persecution, or hopelessness.
Maine does not have to choose between compassion and responsible government, or between lawful immigration procedures and economic stability. Our public conversation can recognize all these concerns while seeking solutions appropriate to the needs of our society and economy. It can protect due process, support lawful enforcement, respond to employers’ workforce needs, and treat every person with dignity.
The central question is not whether immigration policy should exist. The question is whether federal and state decisions are being made with a full understanding of their human, demographic, and economic consequences.
A Kinyamulenge proverb says, “Iyo so akwanga, akuraga urubanza rwamunaniye.” It means, “When a father fails his child, he leaves behind a problem he could not solve himself, and it becomes a heavy burden for the next generation.”
Our generation must be careful not to leave Maine’s children an avoidable crisis: too few workers to care for older people, too few professionals to sustain hospitals and businesses, and too little preparation for the state’s changing population. The future will judge us not by the intensity of our rhetoric, but by whether we confronted the difficult realities of our time with wisdom, extraordinary courage, credible evidence, and — above all — humanity and love for one another.
