ULAA PRESIDENT SETON LAUDS PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OTHERS FOR LIBERIANS’ DED

 

 

 

ULAA National President, Dr. Mariah Y. Seton has sent a congratulatory letter to President Barack Obama commending him for extending DED for Liberians residing in the United States.

In the letter to President Obama today, Dr. Seton said “on behalf of the thousands of Liberians across these United States and our union, I wish to personally thank you for acting swiftly in bringing relief to hundreds of Liberians who cannot return home now because of the tremendous lack of opportunities in the country for personal growth and development as well as the absence of basic infrastructures occasioned by more than 14 years of civil war”.

The ULAA President praised President Obama for his immigration initiative, and said ULAA will team up with other African national organizations and various Latino groups to back the President’s plan for comprehensive immigration reform. Dr. Seton said there are thousands of our people who have gained American citizenship and many who are natural born Americans. She said these Liberian-Americans will be mobilized to support President Obama’s agenda for immigration reform in order to bring about permanent relief to Liberians on DED and others.

Similar letters are also being sent to Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Congressmen Donald Payne of New Jersey, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Michael McMahon of New York, Sheila Lee-Jackson of Texas, among others who played pivotal roles in the DED extension. The ULAA President is also sending similar thank you letters to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Homeland Security Secretary Janet, and requesting audience to discuss permanent residency status for Liberians on DED.

Meanwhile, the ULAA National President has thanked Liberian Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes for the effective role he played in the DED extension. In the letter to Ambassador Barnes today, President Seton praised him and the entire embassy staff for their show of support at the immigration rally on March 25, 2009. The ULAA President is also sending thank you letters to the New Jersey based Concerned Citizens for Humanity and other organizers of yesterday’s immigration rally.

 

In a related development, Dr. Seton has sent ‘thank you’ letters to US Senator Jack Reed for re-introducing the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, S. 656.  She also extended communication to Richard Durbin (IL), John F. Kerry (MA), Barbara A. Mikulski (MD), Edward M. Kennedy (MA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), who are all co-sponsors of the bill.

Speaking to our reporter, President Seton revealed that ULAA will shortly convene an immigration conference to discuss necessary approach aimed at mobilizing sustained efforts and support for permanent immigration status for Liberians on DED. President Seton said a permanent solution is desperately needed to fully address the issue of thousands of Liberians on DED so that our people will not have to go through this predicament every year.