Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians, 55017-55019 [2024-14756]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55017-55019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14756]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 128 / Wednesday, July 3, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 55017]]

                Memorandum of June 28, 2024

                
Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced 
                Departure for Liberians

                Memorandum for the Secretary of State [and] the 
                Secretary of Homeland Security

                Since 1991, the United States has provided safe haven 
                for Liberians who were forced to flee their country as 
                a result of armed conflict and widespread civil strife, 
                in part through the grant of Temporary Protected Status 
                (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

                In December 2019, the Congress enacted the National 
                Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public 
                Law 116-92) (NDAA), which included, as section 7611, 
                the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) 
                provision. The LRIF provision, with limited exceptions, 
                makes Liberians who have been continuously present in 
                the United States since November 20, 2014, as well as 
                their spouses and children, eligible for adjustment of 
                status to that of lawful permanent resident (LPR). The 
                NDAA gave eligible Liberian nationals until December 
                20, 2020, to apply for this adjustment of status. After 
                the enactment of the LRIF provision, President Trump 
                further extended the DED transition period through 
                January 10, 2021, to ensure that DED beneficiaries 
                would continue to be eligible for employment 
                authorization during the LRIF application period.

                The LRIF application process was new and complex, 
                resulting in some procedural and administrative 
                challenges. Recognizing these difficulties, the 
                Congress enacted a 1-year extension to the application 
                period in section 901 of the Consolidated 
                Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260). That 
                legislation, however, did not provide for continued 
                employment authorization past January 10, 2021. Through 
                my memorandum of January 20, 2021 (Reinstating Deferred 
                Enforced Departure for Liberians), DED was subsequently 
                reinstated through June 30, 2022, in order to permit 
                employment authorization for eligible Liberians while 
                they made their applications for adjustment of status 
                under the LRIF provision. My memorandum of June 27, 
                2022 (Extending and Expanding Eligibility for Deferred 
                Enforced Departure for Liberians) (2022 Memorandum), 
                further authorized an extension of DED for 24 months, 
                ending June 30, 2024, and expanded eligibility to those 
                Liberian nationals, or persons without nationality who 
                last habitually resided in Liberia, who had been 
                continuously physically present in the United States 
                since May 20, 2017.

                There are compelling foreign policy reasons to extend 
                DED for those Liberians who have been continuously 
                present in the United States since May 20, 2017, and 
                were eligible for DED under the 2022 Memorandum. 
                Providing protection from removal and work 
                authorization to these Liberians, for whom we have long 
                authorized TPS or DED in the United States, honors the 
                historic close relationship between the United States 
                and Liberia and is in the foreign policy interests of 
                the United States.

                Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the 
                foreign relations of the United States, I have 
                determined that it is in the foreign policy interests 
                of the United States to extend through June 30, 2026, 
                deferred removal for those Liberians already under a 
                grant of DED under the 2022 Memorandum. I have also 
                determined that these Liberian nationals should have 
                continued employment authorization through June 30, 
                2026.

[[Page 55018]]

                The Secretary of Homeland Security shall promptly 
                direct the appropriate officials to make provision, by 
                means of a notice published in the Federal Register, 
                for immediate allowance of employment authorization and 
                prompt issuance of new or replacement employment 
                authorization documents in appropriate cases for 
                covered Liberians.

                This grant of DED and continued employment 
                authorization shall apply to any person who was 
                eligible for a grant of DED under the 2022 Memorandum, 
                to include any Liberian national, or person without 
                nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia, who 
                has been continuously physically present in the United 
                States since May 20, 2017, but shall not apply to such 
                persons in the following categories:

(1) individuals who would be ineligible for TPS for the reasons provided in 
section 244(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 
1254a(c)(2)(B);

(2) individuals who sought or seek LPR status under the LRIF provision but 
whose applications have been or are denied by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security due to ineligibility for the LRIF provision under sections 
7611(b)(1)(C) and (b)(3) of the NDAA;

(3) individuals whose removal the Secretary of Homeland Security determines 
is in the interest of the United States, subject to the LRIF provision;

(4) individuals whose presence or activities in the United States the 
Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially 
serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States;

(5) individuals who have voluntarily returned to Liberia or their country 
of last habitual residence outside the United States for an aggregate 
period of 180 days or more, as specified in subsection (c)(2) of the LRIF 
provision; or

(6) individuals who are subject to extradition.

                Accordingly, I hereby direct the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security to take the necessary steps to implement for 
                eligible Liberians:

(1) a deferral of enforced departure from the United States through June 
30, 2026, effective immediately; and

(2) authorization for employment valid through June 30, 2026.

[[Page 55019]]

                The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized and 
                directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal 
                Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, June 28, 2024

[FR Doc. 2024-14756
Filed 7-2-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 4410-10-P