Liberian families in the U.S. won a huge victory in late 2019, following the passage of a pathway to legalization as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The provision, championed by Liberians and their advocates, allows thousands of Liberians with temporary protections to apply for permanent relief. It was a historic win for many families who have been living in limbo.
But there’s a deadline to apply for the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) provision, and it’s just days away, on Dec. 20. ”Supporters lobbied this month to get an extension included in Congress' big defense spending bill,” Axios reported. “But lawmakers have moved forward without it, leaving advocates scrambling for other options.”
Prism’s Tina Vasquez reported in September that of the possibly 10,000 Liberian immigrants eligible for legalization through LRIF, less than half of that number have applied. Even fewer people, only 951, have actually seen their paperwork approved, Axios said. While U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) delays have been a factor, they have not been the only factor, advocates told Vasquez.
“Many people could not believe LRIF was real, given that it passed under the last, explicitly anti-immigrant administration,” UndocuBlack’s Breanne Palmer said. The organization has been among the groups conducting outreach to Liberian communities. “There is deep-seated distrust in immigration agencies, and many people are afraid of surfacing to these agencies. They fear that reaching out for this benefit will put them on DHS’s radar and in danger of deportation and separation from their families.”
But ProPublica reported in Dec. 2020 that the previous administration also attempted to sabotage the program, by creating an intentionally complicated application process. Families then won critical relief when Congress extended the application deadline by a year.
That deadline is now very quickly approaching, but unlike last year, there was no last-minute relief in the spending deal. ”U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who pushed for the original provision in the Senate, told Axios she is ‘continuing to work to find appropriate legislation so that all eligible Liberian nationals in Minnesota have a path to achieve lawful permanent resident status and a path to citizenship,” the report said.
Advocates in a draft letter to Congressional leaders are calling for an extension of two years, to Dec. 2023. Or, better yet, dump the deadline. “The pressure of meeting the arbitrary December 2021 deadline must be eliminated,” LRIF beneficiary Yatta Kiazolu wrote in The Los Angeles Times this past September. Advocates also cite the June 2022 expiration of temporary protections that allow thousands of Liberians to live and work in the U.S.
“The success of LRIF is not only crucial for Liberian individuals, but essential for our government to make common sense and much-needed reforms to our immigration system, and to address ongoing anti-Black systemic racism in the U.S,” advocates said in the letter. “Allowing a historic legalization program focused on Black immigrants to languish until it expires will be a deep betrayal of the country’s commitment to racial justice.”
“Given the current heated debate as to whether and which immigration provisions can and should be included in the Build Back Better Act, our undocumented communities need permanent protection now more than ever,” they continue. Some Senate Democrats have signaled openness to override the parliamentarian. “Congress passed the LRIF provisions to secure a bright future for Liberians who have been living in the U.S. for many years—many of whom have started families and uplifted their local and state communities. We hope you will protect the LRIF program by providing Liberians and USCIS more time to make the program a true success.”
But there’s a deadline to apply for the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) provision, and it’s just days away, on Dec. 20. ”Supporters lobbied this month to get an extension included in Congress' big defense spending bill,” Axios reported. “But lawmakers have moved forward without it, leaving advocates scrambling for other options.”
Prism’s Tina Vasquez reported in September that of the possibly 10,000 Liberian immigrants eligible for legalization through LRIF, less than half of that number have applied. Even fewer people, only 951, have actually seen their paperwork approved, Axios said. While U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) delays have been a factor, they have not been the only factor, advocates told Vasquez.
“Many people could not believe LRIF was real, given that it passed under the last, explicitly anti-immigrant administration,” UndocuBlack’s Breanne Palmer said. The organization has been among the groups conducting outreach to Liberian communities. “There is deep-seated distrust in immigration agencies, and many people are afraid of surfacing to these agencies. They fear that reaching out for this benefit will put them on DHS’s radar and in danger of deportation and separation from their families.”
But ProPublica reported in Dec. 2020 that the previous administration also attempted to sabotage the program, by creating an intentionally complicated application process. Families then won critical relief when Congress extended the application deadline by a year.
That deadline is now very quickly approaching, but unlike last year, there was no last-minute relief in the spending deal. ”U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who pushed for the original provision in the Senate, told Axios she is ‘continuing to work to find appropriate legislation so that all eligible Liberian nationals in Minnesota have a path to achieve lawful permanent resident status and a path to citizenship,” the report said.
Advocates in a draft letter to Congressional leaders are calling for an extension of two years, to Dec. 2023. Or, better yet, dump the deadline. “The pressure of meeting the arbitrary December 2021 deadline must be eliminated,” LRIF beneficiary Yatta Kiazolu wrote in The Los Angeles Times this past September. Advocates also cite the June 2022 expiration of temporary protections that allow thousands of Liberians to live and work in the U.S.
“The success of LRIF is not only crucial for Liberian individuals, but essential for our government to make common sense and much-needed reforms to our immigration system, and to address ongoing anti-Black systemic racism in the U.S,” advocates said in the letter. “Allowing a historic legalization program focused on Black immigrants to languish until it expires will be a deep betrayal of the country’s commitment to racial justice.”
“Given the current heated debate as to whether and which immigration provisions can and should be included in the Build Back Better Act, our undocumented communities need permanent protection now more than ever,” they continue. Some Senate Democrats have signaled openness to override the parliamentarian. “Congress passed the LRIF provisions to secure a bright future for Liberians who have been living in the U.S. for many years—many of whom have started families and uplifted their local and state communities. We hope you will protect the LRIF program by providing Liberians and USCIS more time to make the program a true success.”