Janet Mills issues executive order creating Office of New Americans in Maine

Gov. Janet Mills announced Wednesday that her administration will create a new office aimed at helping new immigrants enter the workforce and contribute to Maine communities.

The proposed Office of New Americans would add Maine to the list of more than a dozen states with stand-alone agencies aimed at better integrating recent immigrants into the local economy, schools and general society.

Like many states, Maine is struggling to accommodate a surge in asylum seekers, many of whom arrive in the United States with trade skills or professional experience but who are temporarily barred from working under federal law. Maine is also experiencing a worker shortage across many business sectors, including health care and construction.

So Mills is directing staff within her administration to work with stakeholders — including the immigrant community along with business and educational groups — to create a plan for an Office of New Americans to open next year. According to the governor’s office, the new agency will have an “overarching goal of ensuring that Maine is effectively incorporating immigrants into its workforce and communities to strengthen the economy over the long term.”

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