The Portland City Council on Monday debated parallel efforts to expand benefits for different groups of asylum seeking immigrants until they are legally allowed to look for work. In June, the council created a $2.6 million Portland Community Support Fund to provide aid to immigrants who had been receiving state General Assistance as of June 30 but whose benefits had been cut off by the state. But city staff estimated last week that the fund will fall $1.5 million short of the $4.1 million needed to provide housing, food and other aid to this group.