Reed supports the Trump administration's decision to extend the immigration status of Liberians

WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) supported the Trump administration's decision to extend the deferred forced departure (DED) of qualified Liberian people for one year, until March 31, 2020, and asks Congress to adopt a more permanent legislative resolution.

Senator Reed is the author of Bill 456, the Immigration Equity Act for Liberian Refugees, which seeks to end the perpetual limbo of Liberians here in the United States and to ensure national security with the aim of promoting the recovery of Liberia. This bill provides a legal status and a pathway to citizenship for eligible Liberians. He also spearheaded congressional efforts to urge the Trump government to take action and extend the protection status of Liberians.

Liberia, a West African country founded in 1822 by freed slaves from the United States, was the victim of two brutal civil wars in the 1990s and, more recently, of one year. significant outbreak of Ebola. As part of its humanitarian response, the United States has offered some Liberians the opportunity to live, work, and pay taxes in the United States under the Temporary Protection and Deferred Forced Labor (DED) systems. ), extended by both Republicans and Democrats. administrations from 1991.

However, last year, President Trump announced that the DED for Liberian beneficiaries would expire on March 31, 2019.

Today's announcement by Trump means that Liberians living legally in the United States can stay for another 12 months without the threat of expulsion, which is a prolonged effort by Senator Reed to secure a positive extension. If President Trump had not approved the extension of the DED, many Liberians could have been deported as of Sunday, March 31st.

Many Liberians living in the United States who benefited from this extension of the DED fled Liberia as it was plunged into two bloody civil wars from 1989 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2003, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than half of the population. Since then, many Liberians have built new lives in Rhode Island: having children, starting a business, buying a house, and paying taxes. The Ocean State is home to one of the largest Liberian populations per capita in the United States.

"On a divisive issue like immigration, I appreciate this positive step forward from President Trump. This is good news for eligible Liberians, for Rhode Island and for our staff. But it is only a temporary relief when we really need a permanent solution that puts these law-abiding taxpayers on the road to full citizenship, "he said. said Senator Reed. "Separating and uprooting hundreds of American-Liberian families from their jobs and homes and forcing them to return to a country unrecognizable to many of them would not have been in the best interests of the United States. In the long run, we still need a solution that offers certainty to this population, allowing them to embark on a path of full citizenship. It is time for Congress to pbad legislation giving Liberians the opportunity to stay here permanently. "

Rhode Island has one of the largest populations of Liberians per capita and Senator Reed has been working since 1999 to allow this community to stay legally in the United States. In the United States, many members of the Liberian community provide financial badistance to families and communities returning to Liberia and make a significant contribution to Liberia's reform and development. Liberia's nascent recovery efforts could be reversed if remittances ceased, undermining the interests of US foreign policy in the region.