September 28, 2000 Deferred Enforced Departure Extended for Liberians WASHINGTON – In response to President Clinton’s announcement today extending Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for qualified Liberians until September 29, 2001, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) announced it will defer for one year the removal of certain qualified Liberians present in the United States. Under DED, approximately 10,000 Liberians in the United States as of September 29, 2000, will be protected from removal for one year and will be eligible to receive employment authorization in the United States. Since 1991, most Liberians present in the United States have resided here under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a form of protection offered when conditions in a country are determined to be too dangerous or unstable for its nationals to safely return. Although TPS ended for Liberians on September 28, 1999, the President determined that for foreign policy reasons, protection from removal should be extended for a year after that date. Today, that protection is extended for an additional year, until September 29, 2001. To obtain employment authorization, qualified Liberian nationals will need to file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and Form I-765D, "Liberian DED Supplemental to Form I-765", at the District Office that has jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence. All applicants must submit two photographs with their application. In addition, applicants must submit a copy of the following documentation, if available, to establish their eligibility for work authorization: Form I-94, Arrival Departure Record; their last Employment Authorization Document (EAD); a photo ID, such as a passport, driver's license or identity card, or a school identification card. If these documents are not available, applicants can submit an affidavit affirming that they are a national of Liberia who was present in the United States as of September 29, 2000, and is eligible for DED. There will be an interview process to determine eligibility. The filing fee for submitting an EAD application is waived for DED recipients. However, all first time applicants will be required to submit the standard $25 fingerprinting fee. Although DED status is automatic for qualified Liberians, there are some exceptions to eligibility under this program, including persons who have committed certain crimes, persons who are persecutors, and persons who have previously been deported, excluded or removed. – INS –