AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The largest city in Maine is asking Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to either relocate hundreds of unhoused asylum seekers to college dormitories — or to activate the National Guard and to open an emergency shelter, since the city is closing a temporary gymnasium shelter in about six weeks.
The request sent to the governor on Thursday follows a protest a day earlier at the Portland Expo in which asylum seekers urged the city and state to come up with long-term housing solutions.
In the letter, Mayor Kate Snyder and City Manager Danielle West urged the governor to support an effort by the Greater Portland Council of Governments to move as many as 600 asylum seekers to Unity College, or alternatively, to activate the Maine National Guard to create emergency shelters.
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Ben Goodman, spokesperson for the governor, said it would be up to MaineHousing to provide funding to host asylum seekers at Unity College. “Our office does not speculate on the potential use of the National Guard,” Goodman said.
Since the start of the year, Portland has received more than 1,500 asylum seekers, mostly from African countries. The shelter at the Portland Expo will close Aug. 16.
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