Immigrant employment in Maine helps sustain nearly 74,000 jobs statewide and nearly $15 billion in total economic output, according to the Maine Office of New Americans. (Adobe Stock) By Kathryn Carley Listen to this story HERE Federal immigration enforcement surged in Maine this year, and a new report showed the removal of immigrant workers could cost the state up to […]
Immigrant employment in Maine helps sustain nearly 74,000 jobs statewide and nearly $15 billion in total economic output, according to the Maine Office of New Americans. (Adobe Stock)
By Kathryn Carley
Listen to this story HERE
Federal immigration enforcement surged in Maine this year, and a new report showed the removal of immigrant workers could cost the state up to $3 billion in annual economic output.
The report highlighted the contributions of more than 30,000 foreign-born workers in the state, particularly in the manufacturing, construction, agricultural and healthcare industries.
Julia Trujillo Luengo, director of the Maine Office of New Americans, said the arrest of even one employee can have a chilling effect on a workplace, keeping other workers home or dissuading new applicants.
“We’re gravely concerned as a state if this continues. It’s going to have devastating consequences, irreparable consequences for our state as a whole,” Luengo asserted.
Close to 500 people in Maine were arrested by federal immigration agents through early August, according to the Deportation Data Project, and of those, 98% had no criminal conviction.
More than 40% of ICE arrests took place in January, when federal agents launched what they called “Operation Catch of the Day.” Shortly thereafter, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and its regional offices sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation requesting greater oversight of enforcement actions. They noted businesses across nearly every sector were triaging operations just to remain open.
Luengo added employers are still struggling with the uncertainty of ICE raids and the inability to plan.
“Certainly what Maine doesn’t need is any artificial methods coming in removing workers from our labor force when we already have a tight labor market,” Luengo emphasized.
The report cited previous research showing immigrants in Maine are generally younger and participate in the workforce at a significantly higher rate than those born in the U.S.
Maine has the oldest population in the U.S., and the share of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow to nearly 30% by 2050. Luengo pointed out immigrants fill a significant number of healthcare jobs, and when they are removed from the workforce, there is no one to replace them.
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