WASHINGTON, DC - With 12 days remaining before thousands of Liberians living legally in the United States face deportation, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced legislation to allow eligible Liberians to apply for lawful permanent resident status. The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2009 (S. 656) would allow people who were brought to the United States legally under temporary protection status classification to apply for citizenship. Reed reiterated his appeal to the President to extend Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status for the several thousand Liberians who have lived legally in the United States since 1991 and now face a deportation deadline of March 31, 2009. He also called for the President to support efforts to allow these long standing residents access to citizenship.

"Over the last two decades, those who fled Liberia's violent civil wars have become important parts of our communities. They are here legally. They have worked very hard, played by the rules, and paid their taxes. They have children who are U.S. citizens, but the parents, who were brought here to escape a brutal civil war, were never given the opportunity to apply for citizenship," said Reed. "The forced repatriation of Liberians from the United States would increase security tensions in Liberia, further exacerbating their humanitarian crisis. This bill will prevent these families from being torn apart and give them the opportunity to live permanently in the place they love and call home."

Since 1992, these Liberians have relied on a one-year provision of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or DED from the White House to extend their legal right to remain in the United States. These individuals, many of whom have been in the United States since fleeing Liberia in the late 1980's and early 1990's, have retained a legal status which allows them to live, work, and pay taxes in the United States.

In 2006, the Bush Administration announced the termination of TPS for Liberians. However, President George W. Bush extended the legal stay of Liberians by 18 months, granting them a Deferred Enforced Departure designation until March 31, 2009.

"In the short term, we need to lift the March 31st deadline and extend their Deferred Enforced Departure status. Taking the long view, Congress should approve this measure and pass comprehensive immigration reform that is tough but fair," said Reed, who originally introduced the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act in 1999 and has reintroduced the bill in every session of Congress since that time.

On March 6, 2009, Reed spearheaded a letter to President Obama urging the administration to lift the deadline and extend DED until a permanent solution is reached. The letter, which was co-signed by Senators Kennedy, Kerry, Mikulski, Landrieu, Whitehouse, and Klobuchar, requested "that the Attorney General grant Liberians a reprieve from imminent deportation and that the class granted DED cover all eligible Liberians, including those who arrived after October 2002."