ALJA urges President Trump to extend DED for Liberians in the United States



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New Castle, Delaware – The Association of Liberian Journalists of the Americas (ALJA) is urging US President Donald Trump to extend the temporary immigration allowance granted to Liberians through delayed forced departure (DED); and working with Congress to give these Liberians on DED a more permanent status.

In a press release issued March 21, 2019, the Association says that the lives of many DED recipients are so deeply rooted in American society that ending the benefits of immigration will cause them serious emotional and economic hardship. .

According to ALJA, the Liberians involved, many of whom have resided in the United States for more than 20 years, are very well integrated into their local communities, have started a family, bought a home, and made important contributions to different aspects of American society. . The Association further noted that the Liberian recipients of the DED were not a liability for the US economy, but an badet.

ALJA notes that unemployment is currently high in Liberia and that the country is still struggling to provide its citizens with basic medical, social and educational services, which could be further aggravated if thousands of Liberians are forced to return home if President Trump does not extend the DED. .

Thousands of Liberian DED beneficiaries face the difficult choice of leaving the United States or becoming undocumented when temporary immigration benefits expire on March 31. The badociation says it believes the possible expulsion of these Liberians is inhumane and goes against American values ​​aimed at protecting children and keeping families together.

As a result of the Liberian civil crisis, hundreds of Liberians in the United States were granted GST in 1991. In 2007, the GST designation was changed to DED (Deferred Forced Departure), which ensures that 39, a decision to grant the DED comes directly from the President of the United States, as opposed to the US Department of Homeland Security. Liberia and the United States have a long-standing historical link, dating back to 1822, when free slaves from the United States founded the nation as a colony in West Africa.

Anxiety continues to grow among the thousands of Liberian GST / DED recipients with the impending March 31 deadline for the expiry of the temporary immigration benefit. A large number of concerned Liberians have reportedly started to receive notices of dismissal from their employers, while parents of American children are worried about the fate of their children should they be forced to return to Liberia. .

Meanwhile, ALJA congratulates Liberian advocacy groups and Liberian community organizations engaged in lobbying US Congressmen and local authorities to extend GST / DED and ensure permanent status to the Liberians concerned. A week ago, groups from Minnesota and other parts of the country traveled to the US capital to seek congressional support for the extension of the TPS / DED system.

In addition, the Association urges all Liberians, irrespective of their immigration status, to join the ongoing efforts to expand the SPT / DED. ALJA also wants the different groups involved in the current campaign to work in unison to ensure a positive result, noting that there is "strength in numbers".

Sign:_________________
Akai Akasu Awuletey Glidden
National Secretary General
Cell: 484-364-0973
Approved: ___________________
Moses D. Sandy
National President
Cell: 302-494-4688

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