Thousands of Liberian immigrants who faced separation following attacks on their temporary protection from deportation will get some peace of mind at last: A provision in the newly signed 2020 National Defense Authorization Act stands to allow as many as 4,000 eligible Deferred Enforced Departure holders who have had permission to live and work here for as long as two decades to apply for permanent residency and eventual United States citizenship.
This is a historic win for families that have been living in agonizing limbo. While the Trump administration renewed their status just as it was set to expire late last March, that extension was only for a year and was set to end again in just a few months. The NDAA provision, championed by Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota and Jack Reed of Rhode Island and supported by numerous black immigrant organizations and civil rights groups, now makes their lives here in the U.S. permanent.
Advocates and DED holders celebrated the new late Friday. "It gives people the ability to dream about someday going back home and reuniting with their family members that they haven't seen," Abena Abraham, co-founder of the Black Immigrant Collective and a DED holder who came to the U.S. from Liberia when she was just 4, told CBS News. "And it means that people can go to bed at night and not have to worry about what they'll hear tomorrow."
“It doesn’t feel very real. I’m still processing,” Yatta Kiazolu told PRI shortly before the bill’s signing. The 29-year-old Ph.D. candidate had testified to Congress last year about the need to permanently protect Liberian families, and later told Roll Call, “This last year has been very anxiety ridden. It’s been hard to make long-term plans because this impacts every single part of your life.” There’s no doubt that the advocacy and personal stories of Liberian immigrants such as Abraham and Kiazolu helped make this immigration victory possible.
”We lift up the courageous leadership of Liberian immigrants with Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure, and their communities and families who have bravely spoken up and advocated for permanent status for over 20 years,” African Communities Together, UndocuBlack Network, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Lawyers for Civil Rights said in a statement. “We sincerely thank and applaud Senator Jack Reed and Senator Tina Smith for their steadfast support of the Liberian community across the country.”
This win also highlights the ongoing need to protect all immigrant communities here. Legislation that would protect Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, for example, already passed the House of Representatives months ago, but is being held up by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “We urge the Senate to take the next step and pass permanent protections and a path to citizenship for TPS holders and their families who are well-deserving of the same certainty and security,” said immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice.