By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to 4,000 Liberians who have lived continuously in the United States since November 20, 2014 have been given opportunity to apply for Green Card that qualifies them for legal residency, work, and citizenship.
The provision, tucked into the $738 billion Defence Appropriation Bill, has been signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Beneficiaries have until December 20, 2020 to apply to U.S. Immigration to adjust their status. Those convicted of any aggravated felony are not eligible.
Liberia, one of the countries from where Africans were shipped off to the Americas in the 16th century, was founded in 1847 by freed African-American slaves who helped create a modern country.
In November 2019, Ghana, another slave-trading port in those dark days of human history, also granted citizenship to 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans whose ancestors were slaves in the Americas.
Rare legislation
Reuters reports thatthe pathway to American citizenship granted Liberians is a victory for pro-migrant activists and lawmakers who pushed for citizenship for Liberians covered by temporary deportation relief programmes.
The legalisation is the first of its kind in nearly two decades, according to immigration experts.
Trump has attempted to phase out most enrollment in humanitarian immigration programmes such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), which are offered at the discretion of the administration.
Liberians have been protected both by TPS and DED.
Trump unexpectedly postponed a winding down of DED protections for Liberians in early 2019, pushing back the end date until March 2020.
In that announcement, Trump cited the “unique” history of Liberia, a nation founded in 1847 by freed American slaves.
Two Democratic Senators, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, pressed to include the provision for Liberians in the $738 billion National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA).
As of 2018, Minnesota has the largest population of Liberian immigrants of any U.S. state, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Smith said the provision also had support from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho.
“This was one place where I think we were able to get bipartisan agreement,” she added.
Liberians may now apply for permanent residency if they have maintained a continuous presence in the U.S. since November 20, 2014, when the Barack Obama administration approved TPS for Liberia following an Ebola outbreak.
They include those covered by that TPS designation and the DED programme.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates 4,000 Liberians would have been covered by TPS in 2014. Spouses and children of those eligible also can apply for permanent residency, which could push that estimate higher.
Famatta Zeon, 44, a supervisor with U.S. Bank in Minneapolis, who left Liberia for the U.S. in 2001 during that country’s civil war, could benefit.
“We are here, we’re good citizens, we’re paying our taxes,” said Zeon, who has three children who are U.S. citizens. “We’re doing everything that the country wants us to do.”
Living under dread
For over two decades, thousands of Liberian immigrants have lived with uncertainty in the U.S. after fleeing civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Under both Republican and Democratic administrations, they received temporary respite in the form of DED and TPS issued at the president’s discretion.
The biggest scare came in March 2018 when Trump announced the termination of DED and gave Liberian DED holders a year until March 31, 2019 to leave the U.S. or risk deportation.
The announcement led to a lawsuit from advocacy groups, African Communities Together and Undocublack, and 15 Liberian DED holders, who cited racial animus as Trump’s motive for terminating the programme.
But days before the deadline, Trump quietly issued an executive order extending the programme until March 30, 2020. With the green card provision, Liberians can now apply for permanent residency before the expiration of their current statuses.
Once dubbed “America’s stepchild”, Liberia has had nearly 200 years of bilateral relations with the U.S.
Tensions between indigenous peoples and the settlers’ descendants, who held a near monopoly on political control of Liberia until 1980, contributed to the early days of violence in the country.
Advocacy groups hailed the “legislative prowess” of Smith and Reed in the new measure in the U.S.
Reed has been a staunch advocate of the Liberian community, and the provision in the NDAA law is modeled after his Liberian Refugee and Immigrant Fairness Act.
Rhode Island has one of the largest populations of Liberians in the U.S. per capita, and since 1999 Reed has worked to allow Liberians to legally remain in the U.S.
The provision finally “gives [Liberians] a chance to stop living from year to year, extension to extension, to finally be able to put down roots and have some security and legal equality,” said Amaha Kassa, Executive Director of African Communities Together.
“This breakthrough is a testament to the power of organising, and what a focused movement can do. Most importantly, this resolution is a nearly three decades-long journey for Liberians,” added Patrice Lawrence, National Policy and Advocacy Director for the UndocuBlack Network.
“It is the proof and promise of the resilience of Black immigrants.”
Case still in court
Advocates are still pressing on with their lawsuit against the Trump administration.
In October 2019, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the court lacked the authority to compel the president to extend DED for those currently in that status. The plaintiffs filed an appeal in December.
The groups now focus on exposing Trump’s motives for terminating the programme in the first place.
“We will not forget the unnecessary cruelty and threat of instability inflicted by this administration in the first place,” said Lawrence.
With the provision, the new concerns for Undocublack is how speedily applications will be processed and when people will get their work permits while they wait.
“The
[law]
doesn’t require that [the Liberians] keep their work permits beyond March,” Lawrence clarified.
“The difference with a gap of a week or two can mean loss of livelihoods, inability to pay for medicine, rent and support loved ones here and abroad. People will need to apply quickly.”
For Undocublack, spreading the word about the new law has meant taking to social media, WhatsApp groups, and religious communities so DED holders can act promptly.
Returnees to Ghana
The oath of allegiance on the returnees to Ghana was administered by a judge in a ceremony at Jubilee House, the seat of government in Accra.
The ceremony was the biggest highlight when Ghana marked 2019 as the Year of Return. The new citizens took turns to shake hands with President Nana Akufo-Addo and collected their citizenship certificates.
“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I congratulate you once again on resuming your identity as Ghanaians,” Akufo-Addo said.
They joined a generation of Diasporans, including civil rights activist, William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois; and American poet, Maya Angelou; who lived in the country.
“I am glad you have decided to make Ghana your home and thereby join several generations of Diasporans, who committed their lives to us.”
The event was part of a series of activities marking 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in North America.
Launched in 2018, the campaign encourages people of African descent, whose ancestors were victims of the brutal slave trade, to return to Ghana.
Ghana has been marketing its slave sites aggressively to African Diasporans tracing their roots.
An estimated 75 per cent of the slave dungeons on the west coast of Africa were in Ghana and Akufo-Addo said Ghana recognises its role.
People were enslaved in these dungeons and then shipped from Ghanaian ports as part of the transatlantic trade.
“That is why we had a responsibility to extend a hand of ‘welcome back home’ to Africans in the Diaspora. Many have responded to this call,” Akufo-Addo said, adding that the initiative has been a learning experience for all.
Ghana has legislation such as the Right of Abode law of 2000 that allows people of African descent to apply for the right to stay in the country indefinitely. The Joseph Project, created in 2007, also wants Africans in the Diaspora to return.
Thirty-four African-Carribeans were granted citizenship in Ghana in 2016.
to become U.S. citizens, Ghana absorbs 126 returnees
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to 4,000 Liberians who have lived continuously in the United States since November 20, 2014 have been given opportunity to apply for Green Card that qualifies them for legal residency, work, and citizenship.
The provision, tucked into the $738 billion Defence Appropriation Bill, has been signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Beneficiaries have until December 20, 2020 to apply to U.S. Immigration to adjust their status. Those convicted of any aggravated felony are not eligible.
Liberia, one of the countries from where Africans were shipped off to the Americas in the 16th century, was founded in 1847 by freed African-American slaves who helped create a modern country.
In November 2019, Ghana, another slave-trading port in those dark days of human history, also granted citizenship to 126 African-Americans and Afro-Caribbeans whose ancestors were slaves in the Americas.
Rare legislation
Reuters reports thatthe pathway to American citizenship granted Liberians is a victory for pro-migrant activists and lawmakers who pushed for citizenship for Liberians covered by temporary deportation relief programmes.
The legalisation is the first of its kind in nearly two decades, according to immigration experts.
Trump has attempted to phase out most enrollment in humanitarian immigration programmes such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), which are offered at the discretion of the administration.
Liberians have been protected both by TPS and DED.
Trump unexpectedly postponed a winding down of DED protections for Liberians in early 2019, pushing back the end date until March 2020.
In that announcement, Trump cited the “unique” history of Liberia, a nation founded in 1847 by freed American slaves.
Two Democratic Senators, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, pressed to include the provision for Liberians in the $738 billion National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA).
As of 2018, Minnesota has the largest population of Liberian immigrants of any U.S. state, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Smith said the provision also had support from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho.
“This was one place where I think we were able to get bipartisan agreement,” she added.
Liberians may now apply for permanent residency if they have maintained a continuous presence in the U.S. since November 20, 2014, when the Barack Obama administration approved TPS for Liberia following an Ebola outbreak.
They include those covered by that TPS designation and the DED programme.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates 4,000 Liberians would have been covered by TPS in 2014. Spouses and children of those eligible also can apply for permanent residency, which could push that estimate higher.
Famatta Zeon, 44, a supervisor with U.S. Bank in Minneapolis, who left Liberia for the U.S. in 2001 during that country’s civil war, could benefit.
“We are here, we’re good citizens, we’re paying our taxes,” said Zeon, who has three children who are U.S. citizens. “We’re doing everything that the country wants us to do.”
Living under dread
For over two decades, thousands of Liberian immigrants have lived with uncertainty in the U.S. after fleeing civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Under both Republican and Democratic administrations, they received temporary respite in the form of DED and TPS issued at the president’s discretion.
The biggest scare came in March 2018 when Trump announced the termination of DED and gave Liberian DED holders a year until March 31, 2019 to leave the U.S. or risk deportation.
The announcement led to a lawsuit from advocacy groups, African Communities Together and Undocublack, and 15 Liberian DED holders, who cited racial animus as Trump’s motive for terminating the programme.
But days before the deadline, Trump quietly issued an executive order extending the programme until March 30, 2020. With the green card provision, Liberians can now apply for permanent residency before the expiration of their current statuses.
Once dubbed “America’s stepchild”, Liberia has had nearly 200 years of bilateral relations with the U.S.
Tensions between indigenous peoples and the settlers’ descendants, who held a near monopoly on political control of Liberia until 1980, contributed to the early days of violence in the country.
Advocacy groups hailed the “legislative prowess” of Smith and Reed in the new measure in the U.S.
Reed has been a staunch advocate of the Liberian community, and the provision in the NDAA law is modeled after his Liberian Refugee and Immigrant Fairness Act.
Rhode Island has one of the largest populations of Liberians in the U.S. per capita, and since 1999 Reed has worked to allow Liberians to legally remain in the U.S.
The provision finally “gives [Liberians] a chance to stop living from year to year, extension to extension, to finally be able to put down roots and have some security and legal equality,” said Amaha Kassa, Executive Director of African Communities Together.
“This breakthrough is a testament to the power of organising, and what a focused movement can do. Most importantly, this resolution is a nearly three decades-long journey for Liberians,” added Patrice Lawrence, National Policy and Advocacy Director for the UndocuBlack Network.
“It is the proof and promise of the resilience of Black immigrants.”
Case still in court
Advocates are still pressing on with their lawsuit against the Trump administration.
In October 2019, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the court lacked the authority to compel the president to extend DED for those currently in that status. The plaintiffs filed an appeal in December.
The groups now focus on exposing Trump’s motives for terminating the programme in the first place.
“We will not forget the unnecessary cruelty and threat of instability inflicted by this administration in the first place,” said Lawrence.
With the provision, the new concerns for Undocublack is how speedily applications will be processed and when people will get their work permits while they wait.
“The
[law]
doesn’t require that [the Liberians] keep their work permits beyond March,” Lawrence clarified.
“The difference with a gap of a week or two can mean loss of livelihoods, inability to pay for medicine, rent and support loved ones here and abroad. People will need to apply quickly.”
For Undocublack, spreading the word about the new law has meant taking to social media, WhatsApp groups, and religious communities so DED holders can act promptly.
Returnees to Ghana
The oath of allegiance on the returnees to Ghana was administered by a judge in a ceremony at Jubilee House, the seat of government in Accra.
The ceremony was the biggest highlight when Ghana marked 2019 as the Year of Return. The new citizens took turns to shake hands with President Nana Akufo-Addo and collected their citizenship certificates.
“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I congratulate you once again on resuming your identity as Ghanaians,” Akufo-Addo said.
They joined a generation of Diasporans, including civil rights activist, William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois; and American poet, Maya Angelou; who lived in the country.
“I am glad you have decided to make Ghana your home and thereby join several generations of Diasporans, who committed their lives to us.”
The event was part of a series of activities marking 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived in North America.
Launched in 2018, the campaign encourages people of African descent, whose ancestors were victims of the brutal slave trade, to return to Ghana.
Ghana has been marketing its slave sites aggressively to African Diasporans tracing their roots.
An estimated 75 per cent of the slave dungeons on the west coast of Africa were in Ghana and Akufo-Addo said Ghana recognises its role.
People were enslaved in these dungeons and then shipped from Ghanaian ports as part of the transatlantic trade.
“That is why we had a responsibility to extend a hand of ‘welcome back home’ to Africans in the Diaspora. Many have responded to this call,” Akufo-Addo said, adding that the initiative has been a learning experience for all.
Ghana has legislation such as the Right of Abode law of 2000 that allows people of African descent to apply for the right to stay in the country indefinitely. The Joseph Project, created in 2007, also wants Africans in the Diaspora to return.
Thirty-four African-Carribeans were granted citizenship in Ghana in 2016.
