Reinstatement of deferred enforced departure for Liberians

USCIS has published a notice regarding the reinstatement of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians.

On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued a Memorandum to the Secretary of Homeland Security extending DED and employment authorization through June 30, 2022 for eligible individuals who had DED Liberia as of January 10, 2021.   USCIS will issue a Federal Register Notice as soon as possible to implement the President’s memorandum, including the continuation of appropriate employment authorization documents.

This announcement comes after the Biden Administration’s extension memorandum. According to that memorandum:

Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy interests of the United States to defer through June 30, 2022, the removal of any Liberian national, or person without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia, who is present in the United States and who was under a grant of DED as of January 10, 2021.

This allows most Liberians present in the US with DED to continue receiving work authorization through June 20, 2022. Those Liberians may also be eligible for the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness law, which was extended by statute in December of 2020.