I am pleased the President has extended Temporary Protected Status for Liberians in America by 18 months, as many of them have now resided here legally for over a decade. This decision will allow these law-abiding, hard-working Liberian refugees the chance to continue contributing to American society and to continue playing a pivotal role in furthering Liberia’s recovery from years of strife and turmoil.
Many of the Liberians in America on Temporary Protected Status have now resided here legally for over seventeen years.
These men and women could not return to their home countries because of the danger involved, but they also never had the opportunity to become American citizens.
One of the unintended consequences of the Temporary Protected Status is it didn’t foresee that civil wars would continue in Liberia for several years, leaving refugees in America stuck in a state of flux.
It is time for Congress to end their political limbo and allow these Liberian-Americans to continue in the communities where their children have grown up. I look forward to working with Congressman Kennedy to pass this important bi-partisan legislation in the near future.