Senate approves path to citizenship for Liberians facing deportation

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, included a major victory for the Liberian community in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 that will extend legal status for thousands of Liberians.

Senator Reed included a provision in the NDAA backed by Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) and the rest of the Rhode Island delegation, to allow eligible Liberians in the U.S. currently on the temporary immigration status of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to continue living legally in the U.S. and get on a pathway to earning U.S. citizenship.  In order to be eligible to apply for permanent residency under the law, applicants must have been living in the U.S. continuously since November 20, 2014, not been absent for more than 180 days in aggregate, and be otherwise eligible and admissible for permanent residence.

The NDAA provision was based on S. 456, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, which Senator Reed introduced in the U.S. Senate.  Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) introduced companion legislation (H.R.1169) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation is estimated to impact about 4,000 Liberians who have been legally living in the United States.

Reed’s provision would allow eligible Liberians in the U.S. currently on the temporary immigration status of Deferred Enforced Status (DED) to apply for permanent residency and offer a pathway to citizenship