BREAKING: Protest Outside Collins Portland Office NOW

Protest on ICE funding bill happening 8:30

Friends,

Two fast-breaking developments for today:

* Rally Outside Collins Portland Office This Morning

“There will be a protest TODAY at Susan Collin’s office in Portland, 8:30 AM, since she’s about to vote for $9 Billion in additional ICE funding TODAY. Graham Platner will be there. Meet at One Canal Plaza, 200 Middle St. Please help spread the word and bring a friend.”

* ALSO TODAY: Support LD2106: Protect Public Spaces from ICE

At 1pm there will be a hearing in Augusta for a law that prohibits ICE from entering schools, hospitals and healthcare facilities, daycares, and libraries to conduct immigration enforcement unless they can produce a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge. Please write to your Maine State representative and your Maine State Senator. To testify in Augusta on Thursday, please follow this guide.

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That’s it for today. See you at the rally.

Amy

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Ongoing Weekly Rallies and Special Events

There are over 80 rallies (including ICE OUT ones), marches, visibility brigades or community-building events happening in the coming week, in over 40 different Maine communities, from Machias to Mt. Vernon, from Harpswell to Houlton. To find one near you, check ActivateMaine.

____RESOURCES____

ICE RESISTANCE RESOURCES

• ACLU Know Your Rights as Immigrants

• ACLU Know Your Rights as Protesters

• Anti-ICE Events This Week. Search the ICE OUT tab for one near you

• The Maine ICE Watch and Resource Hub

• ActivateMaine Ice Action Toolkit

• Ice Watch Hotline in Maine: 207-544-9989. (Add to your contacts to report ICE activity.)

• Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition. Great ICE-fighting resources. Hotline operator and verifier training sign-up here.

DIRECT SUPPPORT TO IMMIGRANTS

The following groups are providing direct support for families in crisis:

• Project Home is a Portland-based 501(c)3 requesting urgent donations to pay rent for families so they can stay housed while parents cannot work due to detention or fear of it. Its Emergency Housing Fund gets funds to families within 48 hours of need. Donate here.

• Presente — Works in commmunity to provide food and material support directly to displaced and dispossessed Afro/Indigenous-Latines in Maine.

• Maine Solidarity Fund: Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund — Support bail funds, legal fees, and more for our immigrant and Trans neighbors.

• Food for All Services — Pack and deliver food for community members, especially those unable to leave their homes right now.

• Community Relief Fund - Support bail funds, legal fees, and more.

• Mainers for Humane Immigration’s Freedom Fund – Supports bond funds.

• Portland Public Schools Families in Crisis Fund - Supports families of PPS students with basic needs in times of crisis.

• Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) - Legal work on behalf of immigrants.

• Hope Acts. Offers asylum seekers access to housing and basic needs, assistance in navigating complex immigration processes.

GENERAL RESOURCES

• ActivateMaine.com. Website with calendar of statewide protests and community building events. List your events here!

• Maine Congressional phone #s.

  1. Sen. Collins: Portland: (207) 618-5560 -- Lewiston: (207) 784-6969--Biddeford: (207) 283-1101--Caribou: (207) 493-7873 Augusta: (207) 622-8414 -- Washington DC: (202) 224-2523

  2. Sen. King: (202) 224-5344; Portland: (207) 245-1565

  3. Rep. Pingree: (202) 225-6116; Portland: (207) 774-5019

  4. Rep. Golden: (202) 225-6306; Maine: (207) 241-6767

• NEW! RESISTBOT. Resistbot, a free app, is a quick and easy way for people who prefer to write to elected officials. By simply by texting “resist” to 50409 you can add your name to pre-written letters that will be delivered to them.

• Other Congressional Phone #s: Find your Rep here. Find your Senator here.

• Turn Anger to Action: A quick guide to WHY and HOW to make those 5 or 6 daily phone calls.

• 5calls.org Great app for helping make those 5 calls a day. Does all the heavy lifting.

• How To Write and Submit a Letter to the Editor

• Find a Group Near You: a listing of the grassroots resistance groups in Maine.

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Note to All Readers

Maine Matters will always be available as a free resource. Clicking the payment option allows you the choice to pay a subscription fee. I intend to use funds raised from paid subscribers not just to help with producing the newsletter during, but also to support causes and groups who are engaged in the Resistance movement.

My Background

While I am best known in Maine as a children’s book author, I began my writing career as a reporter and editor of a small town newspaper. I have worked as a writer, editor, and freelance journalist for many years, in publications ranging from the Maine Sunday Telegram to the New Yorker. I was the Regional Co-Coordinator for Swing Left Maine in 2020 and founded the voter registration group, SoME VoTe, in 2022. I live in Portland and Vinalhaven.

The Purpose of Maine Matters

Maine Matters is a weekly round-up of resistance efforts in Maine, alerts about opportunities to protect democracy, and updates on the national political scene as it affects Maine.

As always, share this newsletter widely. And thank you for doing your part for democracy.