Asylum Seekers Overwhelm Shelters in Portland, Maine

Families of asylum seekers warehoused outside of an overcrowded family shelter in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

PORTLAND, Maine—Facing an impending humanitarian crisis, Portland Family Shelters Director Mike Guthrie has a simple message to anyone who will listen, “We need help!”

Guthrie, a hands-on, frontline worker in the effort to feed, clothes, and house a continuous flow of foreign nationals arriving in Portland by airplane or bus from the U.S. southern border, told The Epoch Times, “Our family shelter facilities, our warming room, and even area hotel space is at capacity. We have maxed out our community resources.

“The time is coming when I’m going to have to look a dad in the face and tell him and his family that I don’t know where they’re going to sleep tonight.”

The Portland Family Shelter is a complex of four rented buildings in various states of renovation located in the heart of downtown.

Some of the structures are gradually being converted into small apartments where up to four families will share a single kitchen and bathroom.

All four buildings are overflowing their present capacity.

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“The intake is greater and faster than we can process,” Guthrie said.

Epoch Times Photo

Mike Guthrie, director of the family shelter in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

To accommodate the stream of new arrivals, the family shelter program has in recent months placed 309 families (1,091 people) in eight hotels located in five neighboring municipalities spread over three counties of southeastern Maine’s prime tourist and vacation region.

Those moves, with their attendant complications and problems, have resulted in some pushback from the local Mainers who fear their prized relaxed lifestyle may never be the same.

And they resent not having a voice in any of it.

“It’s just part of the state government’s plan to bring the slums to the suburbs,” said a Mainer from the resort and tourist community of Kennebunkport, a small town about 28 miles down the Atlantic coast from Portland.

“The United States cannot rescue Africa.”

Coming out of the Kennebunkport post office, long-time Mainers Virginia and Robert shared their opinions on what the locals see as the “invasion” of Maine by immigrants.

Virginia commented, “We have sympathy for the asylum seekers, but resources are over-extended and now it’s going beyond Portland.”

“Eventually, it’s going to impact our quality of life,” Robert said.

Epoch Times Photo

A view of Dock Square in Kennebunkport, Maine, on May 25, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

Pressures on Portland’s homeless shelter capacity last year inspired a York County community action group to obtain a federal grant to help house the city’s regular homeless population.

The plan included renting half a dozen large motels in a three-mile corridor in the heart of southeastern Maine’s Atlantic-shore tourist region.

Motels within walking distance of shopping opportunities were selected.

The motels close in the off-season, so it appeared to some people to be a win-win arrangement.

Included in the plan was the small, quiet, resort town of Wells, located about six miles from Kennebunkport.

Though the program sheltered hundreds of individuals from the brutal Maine winter, the resulting wave of never-before-seen vandalism, burglaries, and other property crimes in the commercial district forced the city of Wells to evict every tenant for violations of several municipal ordinances.

It is unclear where the evicted people were relocated.

Homeless Victimized and Intimidated

Epoch Times Photo

A motel in Wells, Maine, that was used to shelter the homeless of Portland on May 26, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

According to Captain Gerald Congdon of the Wells Police Department, the crimes were not committed by foreign asylum seekers, Wells residents, or by the many legitimate, disadvantaged, and debilitated people housed in the motel.

“The perpetrators arrested were mostly ‘couch-surfers’ spending time with homeless friends staying legally at the motel. However, the bulk of grant-qualified motel dwellers had drug problems,” Congdon said.

One small business operator, whose sweetshop was burglarized, told The Epoch Times, “The thieves were druggies in need of a fix. They came in through a window, stole the cash from the register, and took our digital scales.

“These people were brought in around Christmastime. It was like an invasion. We never had a crime at our store before they came in and ruined things.

“It’s not fair. We now think differently. They changed the whole landscape of how we do business. We don’t want to see them come back.”

Congdon told The Epoch Times, “There was shoplifting at the bigger chain stores and car break-ins going after loose change in the strip mall parking lot.

“A small bike shop was burglarized twice, losing thousands of dollars-worth of high-end bicycles—never happened to them in 42 years of business.

“Our officers spent a lot of time on disturbance calls and enforcing warrants. We made quite a few arrests and recovered some stolen property.

“The management of the area’s motels got tired of seeing us there. They were tired of their legitimate businesses being associated with crime.

“The nice tenants, many of whom are truly deserving of help, were being victimized and intimidated. They were afraid to call us.”

Congdon said his department was not consulted and was given no advance notice on the plan to bring hundreds of homeless people—including many known drug-addicts—into their city.

***

Where Are the Asylum Seekers Coming From?

The vast majority of the new arrivals at the family shelter in Portland have come from Angola and the Congo in Africa, with some coming from Haiti in the Caribbean.

They make the arduous and often dangerous journey any way they can—largely on foot.

Guthrie told of a father and child who recently showed up at the shelter.

“The man said that his wife, the young child’s mother, died on the way. She was swept away while crossing a river.”

Guthrie explained that the route to Portland for most of the asylum seekers begins in chaos-torn western equatorial Africa.

“They cross the Atlantic to South America. They go up through South America and then north through Central America, ending up in northern Mexico, from which they cross the southern border into the United States.

“At that point, they present themselves to Border Patrol.

“A new arrival tells Border Patrol ‘I am here to seek asylum. If I go back home, I will be killed. I fear for my life.’ That’s the difference between an asylum seeker and an immigrant,” he said.

Those three short sentences guarantee a person’s admission for a lengthy stay in the United States as his or her claim is adjudicated.

Guthrie went on to explain, “After some additional questioning, the individual is issued minimal paperwork by immigration authorities and told they will be contacted about a formal hearing on their asylum plea. They are then turned over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”

Most are given cell phones.

Public servants with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and representatives of various American non-profit, philanthropic organizations, ask the asylum seekers where they want to go in the interior of the United States to await their asylum hearing.

For many, their answer is “Portland.”

“They are then put on buses or airplanes and sent on their way,” Guthrie said.

***

City Hall allowed The Epoch Times access to several families being warehoused outdoors and a number of parents were eager to talk about their current plight.

Speaking through an interpreter provided by the shelter, and in the presence of shelter director Guthrie, Samantha, a young Angolan woman with a 10-month-old baby on her hip and a toddler in tow, was not shy about sharing her dissatisfaction.

When asked if her family’s basic needs were being met, Samantha replied, “We just need a place to sleep. We stay outside in the sun and the elements because there is not enough space for us indoors. There are not enough clothes for my family.

“Being outside all day is not good for my baby. Some of us have caught colds. Some had fevers. Some were so sick they went to the hospital.

“My son eats a special baby formula. I have to ration his feeding.

“What we are fed is very different than what we are used to. We are receiving no culturally appropriate food. There was no way for us to take a shower for five days.

“We endured a seven-month journey to come to this! We are not happy. Conditions are not good! We really need help.”

When asked if she felt welcome, Samantha said with a look of disbelief, “No! I do not feel welcome. Look at us. We are outside.”

Epoch Times Photo

A Congolese family seeking asylum in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2022. (Steven Kovac/Epoch Times)

Landry, a housepainter and electrician’s helper, brought his wife Sylvie, two-year-old daughter, and 12-month-old son to Portland from the Congo.

When asked why he risked the journey, Landry answered, “I left my country because of political issues and insecurity. There we could be sure of nothing. Here, it’s different.”

Sylvie said, “We came from Texas unprepared for this Maine weather. I am not happy for how I am living here. I don’t feel welcome!”

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44635840)

At least they escaped Texas alive

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44635861)

They voted for this

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44635909)

For many, their answer is “Portland.”

“They are then put on buses or airplanes and sent on their way,” Guthrie said.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44635970)

*imports 10 million niggers*

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44635945)

https://www.jta.org/2020/07/09/politics/sara-gideon-could-flip-susan-collins-senate-seat-blue-shes-building-a-wide-base-of-jewish-support-to-do-so/amp

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636193)

“‘ZOG’? You fucking antisemitic retard, link me to the Jewish POTUSes… I’ll wait!”

Oh wow, devastating retort, this time around normies will never wake up now. Gottem!

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636223)

“A new arrival tells Border Patrol ‘I am here to seek asylum. If I go back home, I will be killed. I fear for my life.’ That’s the difference between an asylum seeker and an immigrant,” he said...

Public servants with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and representatives of various American non-profit, philanthropic organizations, ask the asylum seekers where they want to go in the interior of the United States to await their asylum hearing.

For many, their answer is “Portland.”

lmaoooooooooooooooooooooooooo at FOMO about portland maine making its way to burkina faso.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636057)

Wow and they all know exactly what to say at each step.

Amazing how that works. Sounds totally organic and real, I’m sure Jews weren’t involved in this at all.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636070)

This is up there with the “Unitarians are the REAL problem!” line that retards were pushing a few months ago.

(((Guess who))) they discovered had actually taken over their local “Unitarian” church? The answer may SURPRISE you!

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636122)

They're probably just as bad as Jews on that shit, maybe worse

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44638358)

kikes do it because theyre evil

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636124)

"Well, at the asylum hearing, he said he feared for his life, because he was threatened by unknown members of a gang. And the government has no information to dispute this account, so we're granting asylum."

It's open borders to anybody who knows the script

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636120)

must be some type of mysterious zen koan of immigration. magic words that spreads by deep connection to vibrations of the universe that allows them to know what to say. a shahada of freedom.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636129)

Should have stayed home I guess!

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636209)

Don’t worry Jews, this is not only sustainable, it ends with the final death of the white race and your eternal rule over a brown planet that worships you and lets you do whatever you want forever. I promise! This time, you really do “have this.” Haha, yeah.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44636214)

So sad. One of the last nice places in America getting ruined.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44637199)

Maine "students" walking out to protest police arrest - look like mostly niggerss

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44637610)

There is no escape from this kind of stuff.

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44638344)

How about their own country?

(https://autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5124943&forum_id=2#44639464)