PRESIDENT BIDEN EXTENDS ELIGIBILITY FOR DEFERRED ENFORCED DEPARTURE (DED)FOR LIBERIANS

On June 30, 2024, President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians to the Secretaries of State and Homeland security that defers through June 30, 2026, 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 covered under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) as of June 30, 2024. In addition, President Biden continued through June 30, 2026, employment authorization for individuals included in these categories.

The grant of DED does not apply to:

Individuals who would be ineligible for TPS for the reasons provided in section
244(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(2)(B);
Individuals seeking lawful permanent resident status under the LRIF provision whose applications were or are denied by the secretary of homeland security because they are ineligible for LRIF under sections 7611(b)(1)(C) and (b)(3) of the National Defense Authorization Act;
Individuals whose removal the secretary of homeland security determines is in the interest of the United States, subject to the LRIF provision;
Individuals whose presence or activities in the United States the secretary of state has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States;
Individuals who have voluntarily returned to Liberia or their country of last habitual residence outside the United States for an aggregate period of 180 days or more, as specified in subsection (c)(2) of the LRIF provision; or
Individuals who are subject to extradition.

The memo extends employment authorization through June 30, 2026, for Liberians covered under DED. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is automatically extending DED-related EADs through June 30, 2026, for those who already have an EAD with a Card Expires date of March 30, 2020; January 10, 2021; June 30, 2022; or June 30, 2024.