This was published in a local #Maine newspaper (and also online). More of this, please...!

Show up for your neighbor: #ClimateCrisis and Inequality at Home

January 30, 2026
By Caitlin Marshall

"When we talk about climate change, we can talk about greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 levels, and kilowatts of renewable energy. These are all key metrics that ensure we’re grounded in solid science as we find a better way forward. But we also need to talk about people. The climate crisis has always been about inequality among people.

#ClimateChange Displaces Millions

Globally and locally, those who bear the highest burden of pollution and vulnerability to climate disruption are our #BIPOC neighbors. And one of the threads of that truth is climate migration.

In the coming decades, climate change will displace millions of people worldwide. Most will be from the Global South, whether directly to escape rising seas and polluted land or indirectly when climate instability exacerbates political instability.

We might meet this with worry. Or we can be inspired by a different perspective. As #SinafekeshGirma writes, we can 'move beyond viewing migration as a crisis, recognizing its power to advance resilience, inclusive policies, increased adaptation financing, and community-led solutions.'

#BuildingResilience in Maine

So what does that mean right now? That means pitching in to support our current #MigrantCommunity in Maine. When we see climate change and #RacialInjustice as interlinked problems, we can also see that the solutions are interlinked.

For some ideas on where to start: Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, and Maine Equal Justice.

Showing up for each other today is not only the right thing to do, but it also keeps building our resilience and skills. It prepares us for a future climate-changed world.

Right here in Portland, we are going to keep seeing climate challenges that ask us to help each other in times of need. Practicing now builds the muscle of resilience, of care. It asks us to be creative, and bold. It forces us to look around and see that change has always, always been part of our story.

We can lean into our community spirit, and in the words of Maine Youth for Climate Justice, create a 'livable future where we can all thrive.' "

Source:
https://thewestendnews.com/show-up-for-your-neighbor-climate-crisis-and-inequality-at-home/

#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity #MutualAid #WestEndNews #PortlandME #LivableFuture #NewMainers #MIRC #MIRS #ILAP #MaineEqualJustice #PortlandClimateActionTeam #MaineYouthForClimateJustice

Show up for your neighbor: Climate Crisis and Inequality at Home

Show Up for Your Neighbor By Caitlin Marshall When we talk about climate change, we can talk about greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 levels, and kilowatts of renewable energy. These are all key metrics th

The West End News

The Reality Facing #AsylumSeekers in #Maine

Posted By: Nancy English, January 02, 2026

Excerpt:

"Caring City

Portland has proven its support time and time again. The City opened the Portland Exposition Building in 2019 and again in 2023 to help immigrants seeking refuge. Helped by City workers, local nonprofits, and volunteers, many found housing and received work permits. But now, grants and federal support are drying up.

'Things are really stressful and chaotic,' Stein said. 'The rules keep changing all the time. The fees asylum seekers pay have had huge increases.'

As she talked to me, she read a news alert on her phone about a change in the duration of work permits. From December 4th, newly issued work permits will expire after 18 months, instead of the previous five years.

Lives Disrupted

The Immigrant Legal Aid Program (#ILAP) offers immigrants legal support and far more. Lisa Parisio, ILAP’s Policy Director, said, 'People in Maine are having their immigration statuses and protections stripped away, losing access to work permits, and immigration enforcement has dramatically increased.'

Families left without bread winners, possibly without a vehicle or other resources, are trying to get on with their lives.

'Be as prepared as possible,' advised attorney Jenny Beverly, an immigration attorney working at Haven Law in Portland, Maine. 'Give a trusted friend a copy of your complete asylum application, with copies of entry documents, passports, ‘Notice to Appear,’ evidence of filing (a receipt given on acceptance of an asylum application).'

Family will need all that and more simply to find someone detained by federal agents. At the very least, she said, 'Share your alien number, birthplace, birthdate, and your full name.' "

Read more:
https://thewestendnews.com/the-reality-facing-asylum-seekers-in-maine/

#USPol #MainePol #SanctuaryCities #PortlandME #NewMainers #SanctuaryCity #WelcomeNewMainers #Refugees #Immigrants #TrumpSucks

The Reality Facing Asylum Seekers in Maine

The Reality Facing Asylum Seekers in Maine By Nancy English The political, legal, and economic world surrounding asylum seekers in Maine has transformed from welcome to danger in less than a year. “I

The West End News