Gov. Janet Mills announces the plan for the state Office of New Americans at American Roots in Westbrook on Jan. 19. (Photo by Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star)
The current head of statewide employment programs will serve as the first director of Maine’s Office of New Americans, Gov. Janet Mills announced on Wednesday.
Tarlan Ahmadov, who has worked for more than 20 years in employment, immigration, refugee, health and social services, will assume his leadership post on January 21.
“In this role, I will strengthen workforce integration, support immigrant entrepreneurs and foster welcoming communities across the state,” Ahmadov wrote in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with community leaders, employers, state and municipal agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and other partners to build a stronger, more inclusive Maine where everyone can succeed and contribute to our collective success.”
The supplemental state budget passed in the spring included language to create the new office and fund two positions. It will focus on improving the coordination of existing organizations that support immigrants and collect more accurate and timely data about immigrant populations across the state.
Ahmadov has served as director of the Division of Programs at the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Employment Services since 2022, overseeing statewide initiatives to support businesses, apprenticeships, veterans and the unemployed. From 2017 to 2022, he served as Maine’s state refugee coordinator with Catholic Charities Maine, where he administered federal services to asylees and refugees. He also previously worked at that organization overseeing refugee resettlement.
Ahmadov immigrated to the United States from Azerbaijan with his wife in 2003, and before then had worked in the education and non-profit sectors. He’s currently pursuing a PhD in public policy at the University of Southern Maine and has a master’s degree in history and social sciences from Baku State University.
“Ahmadov’s deep experience helping new Mainers adjust, step into jobs, and contribute to our state has prepared him well to lead the Office of New Americans,” Mills wrote in a statement. “Tarlan’s leadership will ensure that our workforce and economy can fully benefit from the valuable skills, knowledge, and work ethic of new Americans who make their home in Maine.”
Mills first proposed the Office of New Americans in August of 2023, when she signed an executive order directing her Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, which will house the new office, to create a plan for it. The announcement came after years of advocacy from immigrant rights organizations for state-level coordination of services.
Throughout the fall of 2023, GOPIF heard input on what the focus of the office should be from more than 800 people from all 16 counties over the course of more than 100 meetings. While the office now sets out to address many of the issues raised, it will not address some immediate needs — such as housing, food and healthcare — that immigrants and immigrant rights organizations told Maine Morning Star remain a concern.
When Mills’ proposal was considered by the Legislature last session, it drew hours of testimony.
Lawmakers and state officials pushed back on misinformation about the office during the public hearing. A sizable portion of testimony in opposition focused on concerns about federal immigration policy involving people who enter the country illegally and welfare — although neither will be part of the office’s focus.
Proposal for Maine Office of New Americans draws hours of testimony
Republicans in the Maine Legislature also misleadingly conflated the state’s economic strategy goal with the administration’s work to assist immigrants. That misinformation has continued since, even being repeated by President-elect Donald Trump.
The plan ultimately failed to proceed as its own bill and was instead wrapped into the budget bill. The formal establishment of the office and the funding for its staff became official on Aug. 9, when the budget legislation went into effect.
Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland), who had introduced a standalone bill to create the office on behalf of the governor, wrote in a statement on Wednesday expressing her confidence in the leadership selection.
“Tarlan Ahmadov has dedicated his career to serving Maine’s immigrant communities and partnering with employers to strengthen Maine’s economy,” Dhalac wrote. “I am confident that under his leadership, the Office of New Americans will unlock more economic potential for our state by supporting new immigrants to become engaged and self-sufficient members of our communities through innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Mufalo Chitam, executive director of Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition, which represents more than 100 immigrant organizations across the state, similarly praised the choice.
“The hiring of Tarlan Ahmadov as Director of ONA is another step in the right direction,” Chitam shared in a statement. “I am looking forward to continue working with him in this new role to create policies that advance immigrant families in Maine.”
While an Office of New Americans will be a first for Maine, it is not a new concept. Maine’s office will participate in the Office of New Americans State Network, which connects offices or senior policy positions dedicated to immigrant integration in 19 states.
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