To be clear, I’ve never singled out the Somalians per se. I actually wrote about that situation 10 years ago, prior to the MASSIVE influx of new immigrants that has skyrocketed our student population to over 2,000 non-English speakers who speak a combined 42 languages. It is also worth mentioning that our first wave of Somalian residents did not flee Somalia for Maine. They fled Atlanta, Georgia for Lewiston, Maine.
The fundamental difference between immigration now and immigration 100 years ago is how public resources are now used to entice people who otherwise would not move here. It is this toxic mixture of open borders and comprehensive welfare that has resulted in every one of our formerly well-functioning public institutions becoming overwhelmed. Public funds prop the whole thing up, which is part of the reason why assimilation doesn’t happen enough.
Lewiston being an “early adopter” meant that the organizations to facilitate this trafficking of people were already laid down, including local nonprofits, state nonprofits, national nonprofits, internationally operating nonprofits, and actual government agencies. International connections get made and Maine becomes known as an ideal place to settle due to the generous public benefits. This allowed people to flow in very rapidly once Biden opened the border and rained federal cash on human trafficking operations to further transform the demographics of the town in just a few short years.
Here’s where I stood on the issue 10 years ago. For reference, my kid’s graduating class in 2018 was around 30 percent Somalian, with the majority speaking English. Violent crime was still extremely low at that time, with shootings being extremely rare. Our school was starting to slip, but hadn’t turned into the complete disaster it is now.