Yesterday March 28, President Trump extended for 12 months the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED ) status of our brother and sisters from Liberia who reside in the United States. This is a reversal of his earlier decision taken on March 27, 2018 to start deporting them after March 31, 2019. In addition, on March 8, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen M. Nielsen extended for 18 months the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) of the 84 citizens from South Sudan. The extension will expire on November 2, 2020.
Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) was among the many organizations who reached out to the administration and Congress asking for these extensions and for a more humane way to, in accordance with US laws and values, end the uncertainty in which live these and other migrant groups whose immigration status needs urgent attention of our leaders.
In his Memorandum extending DED for Liberians, President Trump says that “ Extending the wind-down period will preserve the status quo while the Congress considers remedial legislation.” This is why AFJN continue to call on every member of congress to, if he/she has not done so already, please co-sponsor the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2018 (S2275) which was reintroduced in this 116th Congress. Also, introduced in the previous Congress, the Dream Act of 2017 (H.R. 3440 and S.1615), the American Promise Act (H.R. 4253) and the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency (SECURE) Act, S. 2144, they offer a solution to dreamers, TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) communities at risk of losing their protected status.
Click here to read our advocacy letter
