Bryan’s Road, Maryland (February 22, 2007):-The Chairman of the ULAA National Immigration Committee, Mr. Michael Wreh, is urging Liberians in their various communities across the United States to resume calling their Senators to mobilize support for the newly re-introduced Liberian Immigration bill.  The call comes in the wake of information received from the Office of Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed about the re-introduction in the U.S. House of Senate of the pro-Liberian immigration bill.
 
In a letter to the ULAA Immigration Chief, the Legislative Assistant in the Office of Senator Jack Reed, Ms. Elizabeth King, said the Senator re-introduced the S-656 (Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act) on Thursday, February 15, 2007.  Ms. King further informed Mr. Wreh that the Senator’s Team was also working with the Immigration Subcommittee on the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure that permanent residency for Liberians is included in the Comprehensive Immigration bill that will likely be considered by the Senate in the next few months.  She indicated that it would be great for Liberians in the various states to call their senators to tell them to co-sponsor S-656.
 
Accordingly, Chairman Wreh is encouraging officers and members of all ULAA member organizations as well as Liberians in other states to launch intensive lobbying campaigns to galvanize legislative support for the bill.
 
To bolster efforts to effectively sell the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, the below piece has been compiled by the sponsors on various attributes of and defenses for the Bill.  Mr. Wreh recommends it as a helpful tool in the mobilization effort.
 

SENATE BILL S656
LIBERIAN REFUGEE IMMIGRATION FAIRNESS ACT  

Fairness
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Thousands of Liberians arrived in the U.S. over a decade ago seeking temporary safety from a civil war - and the US gave them legal protection. They wanted to go home and intended to go home once there was no threat. But one year turned into many and these Liberians moved on with their lives: they have established careers, bought homes, have American born children in American schools and are firmly established in their communities.
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The U.S. has allowed Liberians to live in this country for over a decade. The Liberians have had TPS or DED longer than any other group in the history of this country. It would be unfair and unjust to suddenly decide that they must lose their jobs and leave what, for many, has become home.
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Several European countries such as Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain and Great Britain, have provisions in law that allow temporarily protected migrants to adjust to permanent status after a certain number of years. The U.S., unfortunately, does not have such a provision. But the unfairness of this situation remains, and passing S. 656 and H.R. 1930 will correct this injustice.
Precedent
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The situation of the Liberians is not a new issue for migrant groups in this country. In the past, Congress has allowed migrants who had been in the U.S. for a prolonged period because of terrible conditions in their native country to adjust to permanent residency status.
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In 1988, Congress passed a law allowing four national groups who had been allowed to stay in the U.S. at the discretion of the Attorney General to adjust to permanent residency status:
 
1. 4,996 Poles who had been here for four years,
2. 387 Ugandans who had been here for ten years,
3. 565 Afghanis who had been here for eight years, and
4. 1,180 Ethiopians who had been here for eleven years.
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The 102nd Congress passed a law, which allowed Chinese nationals who had been granted DED after the Tiananmen Square incident to adjust to permanent residency. Over six years ago, 52,968 Chinese changed their status.
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The 105th Congress passed legislation known as NACARA. Under this law, 150,000 Nicaraguans, 5,000 Cubans, 200,000 El Salvadorans and 50,000 Guatemalans who have been living in the U.S. since the 1980s are eligible to adjust to permanent residency status.
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In 1999, Congress passed a bill, which allowed up to 2,000 Syrian Jews who have lived in the U.S. for eight years to obtain permanent residency.
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S. 656 would not set a precedent. It simply follows a precedent set over a decade ago. This bill will correct the harsh and unanticipated consequences U.S. immigration law is having on the Liberians living legally in this country.
Special Relationship between Liberia and The U.S.
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Congress should honor the special relationship that has always existed between the United States and Liberia.
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In 1822, groups of freed slaves from the U.S. began to settle on the coast of Western Africa with the assistance of private American philanthropic organizations at the behest of the U.S. government.
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In 1847, these settlers established the republic of Liberia, the first independent country in Africa. 5% of the population traces their ancestry to former American slaves.
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Liberians modeled their constitution after the U.S.
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The capital of Liberia is named Monrovia after President James Monroe.
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Before the 1990 civil war, the U.S. was Liberia's leading trading partner and major donor of assistance.
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When Liberia was torn by civil war, many of the citizens of Liberia turned to the United States for help. Recognizing its special relationship with Liberia, the U.S. offered aid to Liberians who remained in the country throughout the war, and gave safe haven to those who fled.
The U.S. should continue to recognize its obligation to the people of Liberia, and ensure that those who have now lived in the U.S. for so long have the right to stay here.

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