AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND THE UNDOCUBLACK NETWORK CELEBRATE THE EXTENSION OF DED FOR LIBERIA
On Friday, June 28, 2024, the Biden Administration announced the extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberia through June 30, 2026, protecting Liberian immigrants in the United States. The extension will allow Liberians to continue to work and live in the U.S. without fear of deportation. African Communities Together (ACT) and the UndocuBlack Network (UBN) join the Liberian community in the United States in celebrating this decision and urge the administration to prioritize humane and effective immigration policies for our communities.
DED, a form of humanitarian protection, was first granted to Liberian Nationals in 1999. This current grant of protection covers Liberians who have been in the United States continuously since May 20, 2017. In recognition of the historically close relationship between the United States and Liberia and the foreign policy interests of the United States, DED has been extended over the years to account for the political and economic situation in the country and, most recently, to allow time for Liberians to apply for the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program.
When the Trump administration wrongfully terminated DED for Liberia, the relentless advocacy of the Liberian community and organizations like ours made restoring DED protection possible.
Currently, immigration and our immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants, are being used as political scapegoats and villainized by the media. It is crucial and urgent that available protections continue to be extended and implemented for the well-being and safety of the undocumented immigrant community.
“ACT commends the administration for its extension of DED protection for Liberians. Countless families will benefit from the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they continue to be protected from removal and have access to work authorization. But while we celebrate this win, we would be remiss to not also call on the administration to extend similar protection to Congolese and Malians living in the US who also urgently need it.” -Diana Konate, African Communities Together
“UndocuBlack Network celebrates the hard-fought victory of a DED extension for Liberia. The Liberian community, UndocuBlack along with our organizational partners like ACT led the efforts that created the first legalization bill in over a decade, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program (LRIF). While the program, which gave thousands of eligible Liberians the opportunity to obtain permanent residency lapsed, our fight continues. Human beings are not meant to live their lives in unstable and uncertain increments of 12 to 18 months. We as a community cannot thrive if our physical safety and our ability to work and live with our families can come into question at the behest of changing administrations. To that end, UndocuBlack will continue to hold the Biden Administration accountable and push for them to pull every administrative lever available to provide a permanent protection for the Liberians and other Black immigrant communities.”- Haddy Gassama, UndocuBlack Network