[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last year, the Trump administration rescinded Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians, providing a one year window for Liberians with DED to leave the United States. The deadline for leaving the country was this Sunday, March 31, 2019. Yesterday, the Trump administration extended that deadline by a year to March 31, 2020. The deadline extension was likely the result of pressure from activists, lawyers, and lawmakers.
Liberians were originally offered Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 1991 after a civil war in their home country. TPS protections were ended in 1999, but President Clinton offered affected Liberians DED protections after considering the conditions of Liberia at the time. TPS was again offered from 2002-2007 after a second civil war. When TPS protections ended in 2007, eligible Liberians were again offered DED protections and work authorizations. The 2007 DED protections were offered continuously to Liberians who have lived in the United States since 2002, until they were rescinded by President Trump.
The Trump administration has made moves to end TPS for several other countries, but has not had much success. Last October, the courts blocked plans to terminate TPS protections for nationals of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan. Protections for those countries were extended to January 2, 2020. Before that ruling, orders to remove TPS recipients from Honduras and Nepal were also blocked by a different court.
The future of TPS and DED is still very much up in the air. For people in the United States with TPS or DED protections, the Law Offices of Scott Warmuth strongly recommends consulting with an immigration law firm to see if you are eligible for a green card or other ways to stay in the country legally. Call our immigration lawyers today at 888-517-9888.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
