Portland asks Gov. Mills to house asylum seekers at Unity college or call in National Guard
City of Portland officials are asking the state to support a proposal to house asylum seekers at a college in Unity or call in the National Guard to set up a new emergency shelter.
In a letter to Gov. Janet Mills dated Thursday, Portland Mayor Kate Snyder and City Manager Danielle West asked Mills to support the proposal from the Greater Portland Council of Governments to house as many as 600 asylum seekers at the rural Waldo County campus of Unity College, which recently changed its name to Unity Environmental University.
“We believe the GPCOG Unity College proposal offers near-immediate transitional housing for asylum seekers already here in Maine, and we ask for your support,” the letter says.
“If Unity College cannot be used, we ask you to call up the National Guard to stand up and operate an emergency shelter for asylum seekers,” it goes on to say.
Portland has seen more than 1,540 asylum seekers arrive in the city since Jan. 1. The request to the governor follows a protest that asylum seekers staying at the Portland Expo held on Wednesday calling on the city and state to come up with long-term solutions for where they will go after the shelter at the Expo closes Aug. 16.
This story will be updated.
Related Headlines State reviewing proposal to pay Unity university $7.8 million to house asylum seekers
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Source: Press Herald
