Legal protection for people who live in the United States. DED is protection that the President can grant at his discretion to nationals of a country based on his constitutional power to conduct foreign relations. It provides protection from deportation and access to work authorization.
DED For Liberia is extended through June 30, 2024. The memo for Liberians extends DED for Liberians who currently have DED, and also makes DED available to undocumented Liberians who have been living in the US since May 20, 2017.
DED protection from deportation is currently in effect, but people cannot apply for new work permits until a Federal Register notice is published to implement the president’s memorandum.
Deferred Enforced Departure is temporary and does not lead to a green card or citizenship.
Who is eligible for Liberian DED?
People who are:
- Nationals of Liberia or a person without nationality who lived in Liberia for a long time before arriving in the USA who’ve:
- Had DED (that expired in June of 2022)
- Have lived only in the USA since May 20, 2017
- Who are LRIF applicants who did not receive an LRIF approval
- Have not committed certain crimes
- Have not voluntarily traveled outside of the U.S. for a total of 180 days or more
Benefits of Liberian DED
- You can stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation for a period of time (June 30th, 2024)
- You can apply for a work permit
Do I need to apply for DED?
No. USCIS does not require an application, DED automatically applies to certain Nationals from Liberia.
Can I apply for a work permit?
Work permits are available to people with DED and are known as an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). It shows employers that you are allowed to work in the U.S. You can apply for a work permit once the Federal Register Notice is published. Work permit application fees are about $410. You may apply for fee waivers to cover this cost.
What happens if DED expires?
If DED is not renewed in 2024, former DED beneficiaries will have the same immigration status they had before getting DED.
UndocuBlack Network advises folks to be mindful of anyone offering to help you apply for a DED-based work permit before the Federal Register notice is published, as it may be a scam.
