In 10 days, thousands of Liberians who have lived in the United States for more than a 15 years—it some cases for their entire adult lives—will be subject to deportation if the Trump administration does not extent the executive action that has allowed them to stay in the country.
Minnesota is home to the largest Liberian population in the country — many live in Brooklyn Park or the surrounding area, and work in nursing or related healthcare fields. As the March 31st deadline looms, fear has gripped the community.
“Currently, my community, the Liberian community, is in panic mode as we speak. We are 11 days away from a decision that will rip families apart and communities apart,” said Alfreda Daniels, a union organizer and a cofounder of the Black Immigrant Collective, on a conference call Wednesday.
An estimated 4,000 Liberians in the US are here on Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), a temporary status determined by the executive branch. Starting in 1991, people fleeing civil war in Liberia were granted either Temporary Protective Status (TPS) or DED. In both cases, they are able to get work permits but not apply for citizenship.
Every administration since then has allowed them to stay in the country, but that changed last year when the Trump administration said DED for Liberians would expire at the end of March 2019, issuing a statement saying that they had one year to “get their affairs in order” and either obtain another immigration status or leave the country.
But organizers like Daniels are hoping that the Trump administration will change its mine, or if not, Congress will act. “We are going to continue to fight until the end. We are relying on the strength of each other, the strength of our community members, to keep our community together,” she said.
On the legislative end, both of Minnesota's senators, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and DFL congressional representatives Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips have held events recently urging congressional action to extend DED.
Omar has backed a bill by House Democrats that takes a broader approach - HR6 "The Dream and Promise Act" that would provide permanent protections for undocumented immigrant youth and those under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).
But the bill faces two major obstacles: the Republican controlled Senate, and President Trump, who has tried to link any relief for TPS, DACA or DED holders with concessions from Democrats on funding for his proposed border wall.
However, Omar struck an optimistic tone in her Wednesday conference call, saying that many members of Congress have constituents impacted by the “broken immigration system.” For her part, she’ll start working to gain support when the House is back in session next week.
“We've had opportunities throughout the years, whether it was a Democrat in charge or Republican in the White House. This is going to be an opportunity that we can't waste. And so I am excited for the possibility of having these difficult conversations and moving people along.” she said.
WCCO Radio emailed the Minnesota Republican party seeking comment.
The Trump administration's previous efforts to end TPS for other groups have ended up in court, and the same may prove true with DED. A coalition of civil rights groups have sued the Trump administration in district court in Massachusetts, arguing that the move to end DED is part of a larger administration agenda to “forcibly remove non-white, non-European immigrant families from the United States.”
DED holders in Minnesota, who have generally have worked for decades and built deep roots in their communities, are watching anxiously.
“This is home for my people and this is our community. They have all contributed, people who are on DED have contributed, lived, worked in this country. We have families and have created communities here. A lot of people are scared… It's not fair for anyone to live this way,” Daniels said.
Isabela Wreh- Fofana, 55, is a Liberian DED holder who has lived in St. Paul for 17 years and works as a nursing assistant. Her husband is also on DED, as is her 23-year-old son, who came to the US with her when he was six. She spoke to WCCO Radio last week.
“We are pleading to all the good loving people to hear us and allow us to stay here. This is where we know, this is what we know. We are tired, tried and stressed,” she said.