Franken, Other Fight for DED for Liberians in Minn.

Sen. Al Franken and 12 other congressmen signed a letter to the white house Tuesday urging President Obama to extend the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians living legally in the United States the Peoples News has learned.

According to  KSTP,  a press release from Minnesota US Senator Al Franken said, "For the last twenty years, Minnesota has been home to one of the largest Liberian communities in the country," said Sen. Franken. "Roughly 25,000 Liberians currently call Minnesota their home and over 1,000 of them would face deportation if we allow these protections to expire."

Since 1991, Liberians who were forced from their homes because of civil war and sought refuge in the United States have been granted either Temporary Protected Status or approved DED. This protection is currently set to expire March 31, 2010.

"It's wonderful to see Liberia making progress in rebuilding their country, but the situation there continues to be fragile," said Sen. Franken. "Liberians who have lived in Minnesota for almost two decades should not be forced to return to a country which is still in the process of becoming stable."

Also signing the letter to President Obama are Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

Several Immigration Advocacy groups including community, religious, and faith-based organizations have also been pushing for another extension of Liberian DED because of the impact deportation would have on both communities in the United States and in Liberia. Liberians and friends of Liberia are urged to join the effort to call the White House as well as their respective senators and representative to get President to extend DED for these Liberians.

Meanwhile the President of the Union of Liberians Associations in the Americans (ULAA), Dr. Mariah Y. Seton, has expressed thanks and appreciation to the US Congressmen for the Letter to President Obama. It can be recalled that the Dr. Seton launched the Liberian DED and immigration campaign recently in a proclamation. Dr. Seton has been on the phone to the offices of various US senators and congressman and this has paid off with this Liberia President Obama. The ULAA Boss is calling upon all Liberians and friends of Liberia continue with Liberian DED/immigration fight and continue to calls to their respective senators and congressman as well as the White House. Mr. Kirkpatrick Weah of COLD has also been on a massive campaign on calling and writing various US Senators and representatives across the country.

Liberians were first given Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in 1991 when Liberia was in the midst of a bloody civil war that was tearing the country apart. Liberian TPS was then extended each year until 2007, by which point the war had ended and democratic elections had taken place. Many Liberian refugees who fled civil war and human rights atrocities between 1990 and 2003 made homes in the United States. Now, for some of them, because their status is expiring, they are in danger of deportation to a fragile country and separation from their families, livelihoods, and communities.

As theses immigration advocacy groups exert efforts to have President Obama extend the Liberians DED for another 18 months, the future of these Liberians hangs in the balance.