For nearly 50 years Catholic Charities’ Refugee & Immigration Services (RIS) has been dedicated to the successful integration of immigrants into our communities.
Guided by Catholic social teaching to work for justice and care for the oppressed, we stand with refugees who are unable to remain in their home country due to well-founded fear of persecution or for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular group, or political opinion and are granted legal status by the U.S. government. We recognize their perseverance and appreciate the many cultural contributions immigrants bring to Maine.
Catholic Charities Refugee & Immigration Services is a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized organization providing practical, community-based immigration legal services throughout Maine.
Current services for eligible persons already present in Maine include:
Regarding Resettlement of New Arrivals
Following the halt on refugee resettlement in January 2025 by the Federal government and the subsequent decision by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, our sponsoring voluntary agency, in April 2025 to not renew their cooperative agreement with the federal government for refugee resettlement, RIS is no longer a designated resettlement agency in Maine. As a result, we will not resettle any new populations through Federal resettlement programs in 2026.
What is the Office of Maine Refugee Services?
“For I was a stranger and you made me welcome….”
—Matthew 25
Portland Office
80 Sherman Street
Portland, ME 04101
Tel: 207.871.7437
Fax: 207.871.7465
TTY: Maine Relay 711
© 2025 Catholic Charities Maine
