Mainers for Humane Immigration was not planned. It grew out of urgency and solidarity. When our founders met at a sit-in outside a Border Patrol station in Scarborough, Maine, none of us imagined it would turn into something lasting. But that moment sparked a grassroots effort grounded in shared values and a refusal to look away.

Over time, our members have done whatever needed doing. They have volunteered at the border, raised bail through community art auctions, greeted newly arrived people with snacks and essentials, helped people find shelter, and connected them with resources. There were no titles and no offices, just people showing up where it mattered.

As the attacks on immigrants have intensified through raids, detentions, incarceration, and deportation, we realized being informal was no longer enough. The need is too great. We became a registered nonprofit not to become institutional, but to stay in this work for the long haul, with more coordination and power behind it.

We are here because everyone deserves dignity, freedom of movement, and a life free from fear.