The promise of a better life for yourself and your family. The escape from a dangerous and uncertain future. The opportunity to do better for those that come after you. 

At the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, these are the values that we fight for day in and day out. Whether it be ensuring access to health care, affordable housing, quality education or needed updates to federal immigration law and policies, our advocacy is guided by these beliefs and our tireless work to enhance the lives of Maine immigrants. 

Some of our work is immediate – bringing a hot meal to a family in need, setting up cots at an emergency shelter or coordinating other services for folks after often-harrowing and dangerous journeys.  

But we can’t focus on the short term alone. Immigrants – whether they are asylum seekers, refugees or people without documentation – are putting down roots here. They want the same things for their kids and grandkids that we all do: good-paying, family-sustaining jobs; clean air and water; a safe climate, and sustainable and equitable policies for building our clean-energy future.  

This fight for environmental justice is exactly why we testified in strong support of L.D. 1895, An Act Regarding the Procurement of Energy from Offshore Wind Resources. When implemented, this bill will jumpstart a new offshore wind industry for Maine, generate a historic investment in affordable and reliable clean energy and set high standards for diversity, equity and inclusion in energy procurement – which would be a first in Maine. 

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. It means that we must first acknowledge that certain communities are bearing the brunt of toxic pollution, enduring underinvestment in infrastructure and critical services and suffering disproportionate impacts of climate change.  

According to the UNHCR, the U.N.’s Refugee Agency, “climate change is the defining crisis of our time and displacement is one of its most devastating consequences,” and there will soon be tens of millions of people worldwide who can be referred to as climate refugees. 

Through policy, advocacy and investment, we can ensure that all communities have a voice and share in the benefits of Maine’s clean energy transition. L.D. 1895 is the culmination a years-long inclusive and collaborative process, and will result in responsible offshore wind development by requiring strong labor protections and fostering inclusive benefits for Maine’s most vulnerable communities.  

Offshore wind projects offer tremendous potential for job creation. We also know that Maine’s immigrant communities will be essential to meeting our workforce needs. Employers will require a diverse range of skills, from construction and engineering to maintenance and operation.  

The Maine AFL/CIO has recently implemented a Union Construction Academy pre-apprenticeship program and has been hosting clean energy job fairs in Portland and Lewiston. Even with efforts like these, we must have strict standards in place to dismantle the structures that have perpetuated exploitation of workers and economic inequality.

Immigrants, particularly those without legal status, are frequently subjected to low-wage jobs, unsafe working conditions and exploitative labor practices. By fighting for fair wages, workers’ rights, and workplace protections, we can safeguard the well-being and dignity of immigrant workers.  

This legislation will provide for a public stakeholder process that will inform requirements for stakeholder engagement; economic and community benefits; diversity, equity and inclusion in employment and contracting; and fisheries and wildlife research, monitoring and mitigation.   

Additionally, the bill requires a request for comments from each federally recognized tribe in the state and the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission in crafting these plans, an important acknowledgement and deference to the original inhabitants of the land we now call Maine. 

The initiatives included in L.D. 1895 will enable workers from Maine’s immigrant communities to thrive and contribute to the economic prosperity for all of Maine. While rectifying historical inequities and ensuring that all communities have a voice and share in the benefits of Maine’s renewable energy transition will be painstaking work, it’s the solidarity necessary for our shared success and a clean energy future. 

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