Updates from ILAP

ILAP creates new resource page for families in immigration court 

Maine continues to welcome more newly arrived families who are in immigration court proceedings. Some of these families are on something called the “dedicated docket,” which is a fast-track immigration court process.

Build Back Better passes House with some immigrant protections 

In November, the House passed the Build Back Better Act. The bill includes work permits, protection from deportation, access to certain benefits, and the ability to travel for about seven million undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. more than 10 years. 

We are disappointed that Build Back Better does not currently include a path to citizenship, which is what immigrant communities want, have fought for, and deserve. However, the inclusion of immigration protections in the Build Back Better Act represents an important step forward toward relief for millions of undocumented immigrants. 

Work permit renewals 

Individuals waiting for their asylum case to be adjudicated need to be able to work in order to provide for their families. Some Mainers with pending asylum applications have lost or will lose their jobs due to the government’s extreme delays in renewing their work permits. The government sometimes is taking 10 months (or more!) to approve a work permit renewal. 

What you can do: If your work permit is up for renewal, you should renew as early as six months before it expires. When you submit a renewal, you should get a receipt notice from the government, letting you know they have received the application. This receipt notice extends your work permit 180 days past its expiration date, and you can show the notice to your employer. Find more information here: help.asylumadvocacy.org/renewal-delays/