Gov. Janet Mills on Friday announced a new initiative aimed at helping immigrants join the Maine workforce with the creation of the Office of New Americans.

For nearly 18 months, top advisors to the governor studied the idea through several lenses, including the state’s high median age, low birth rate and the need to add 75,000 workers by 2030.

In a report released Friday, statistics show the state is home to more than 56,000 foreign-born individuals — about 1 in 25 Mainers. In greater Portland and Lewiston-Auburn, immigrants make up closer to 1 in every 10 residents, the report found.

“From the mighty mills along our rivers, to our working forests and family farms, the iconic fishing and commercial ports along our coast, generations and generations of immigrants have contributed to the economic and social foundation of Maine,” Mills said.

While the proposal to create a new office will be considered by the Legislature in the coming weeks, Mills said it will have five goals: strengthening English learning opportunities; expediting certifications for immigrants with specific skills; coordinating with schools and employers to help immigrants adjust to life in Maine; pushing for federal changes to allow asylum seekers to work more quickly; and better data collection.

She said she did not yet have a cost estimate for the proposal. She said it may be part of her upcoming supplemental budget, but she is also considering whether the state “can make do with what we have.”

Rep. Deqa Dhalac (D-South Portland) said in 2022 immigrant businesses contributed $48 million to the state economy. She said she was “beyond excited” about what could be accomplished with a new office dedicated to immigrants.

“This office represents a significant step toward recognizing and supporting the valuable contributions immigrants have made to our great state,” she said.

Although Dhalac is the primary sponsor of the bill, it has bipartisan support, including from Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford), a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee.

He said cities, towns and schools need more help in supporting immigrants, particularly in rural areas. He also spoke about what he described as a broken federal immigration system.

“This initiative is not an endorsement of our nation’s border policy,” Bennett said. “I’m of the belief that our nation’s immigrant policy is broken and in need of repair.”

He hopes the office will be a resource for municipalities with new immigrant populations.

“Our towns are struggling to deal with this change and cannot handle this influx alone,” he said. “Ignoring the challenges does not make them go away.”

Mills made the announcement at American Roots in Westbrook, which employs many new Mainers at an old textile mill. The company produces sportswear, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, switched gears to make personal protective equipment, said co-founder Ben Waxman.

At a time when many workers were staying home, Waxman said his immigrant employees — who at the time made up 85% of his workforce — didn’t hesitate to come to work.

He said one of his workers, an immigrant from Iraq who became a U.S. citizen, said “it’s our duty as Americans to come back to work and help.”

“Every single worker at American Roots shares the same hopes, dreams and aspirations that all our ancestors have,” he said. “We have a responsibility to educate and get the next generation of Americans into our economy and not just into jobs, but into good jobs.”

Claude Rwaganje, founder and executive director of Prosperity Maine, said immigrants have been making a positive contribution to Westbrook for centuries.

“I believe that this proposed Office of New Americans can have a very important role in better integrating immigrants into Maine’s workforce,” he said. “I look forward to engaging with legislators on both sides of the aisle to secure this bill’s passage.”