A Portland woman who moved to the United States from Canada has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 months and one day in jail on immigration charges.

Dona Daoud Adam, 38, moved to Canada in 1993 and obtained citizenship there in 1999 using her real name, Amina Ismail-Youssouff. In 1999 the Somali native moved to the United States, changed her name and obtained asylum status under fraudulent pretenses by failing to disclose she was a Canadian resident and already had received immigration benefits in that country.

She moved to Maine in 2002 and used her fraudulent status to receive welfare benefits. Adam, a former board member of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project of Maine, pleaded guilty June 28 to two counts of making false statements to obtain food stamps, Medicaid benefits, federal student financial aid and other benefits.

She also had pleaded guilty in February 2006 to making false statements to an immigration officer when she was interviewed for permanent resident status in the United States.

In addition to the prison sentence, Adam was ordered to pay $120,917.69 in restitution. She will be deported when she completes her prison term.