To: Governor Janet Mills
Tell Gov. Paul LePage: Apologize for attacking Maine's families!
Tell Maine Governor Paul LePage: We demand an apology! Immigrants are a part of Maine’s fabric and economy. Shame on you for using inflammatory rhetoric to attack them and their families!
Why is this important?
Just when we thought anti-immigrant rhetoric couldn’t get any uglier or inflammatory, in steps Republican Governor Paul LePage of Maine.
During a speech this week, Gov. LePage claimed that though he’s “compassionate about illegal aliens,” their presence in Maine could lead to an “uptick of hepatitis C, HIV and tuberculosis.”
Are you kidding me? Who says that?
Gov. LePage made his claims during a prepared speech at his annual State
of the State address. His remarks weren’t just fact-free, they were reckless.
It’s just the latest example of Republican leaders blaming immigrants for everything from an Ebola scare, to measles (even though, according to ThinkProgress, immigrants from Central America are vaccinated at higher rates than native-born Americans).
Immigrants are a part of Maine’s fabric. This state is home to almost 50,000 immigrants, and they and their families contribute tens of millions of dollars in taxes to the state’s economy every year. They deserve to be welcomed to Maine, not vilified by elected officials like Gov. LePage.
Tell Governor Paul LePage: Shame on you for making up inflammatory rhetoric to attack Maine’s immigrants!