President Donald Trump has extended the wind-down for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for an additional 12 months, through March 30, 2020, for certain eligible Liberians.

A statement from the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS said that, “during this time, such individuals may remain in the United States,” adding that, “The president also directed Secretary Nielsen to provide for continued work authorization for Liberian DED beneficiaries.”

It stated that the USCIS will publish a notice in the Federal Register with information on the six-month automatic extension, through September 27, 2019, of employment authorization documents (EADs) currently held by eligible Liberians under DED and instructions on how they can obtain EADs for the remainder of the DED wind-down period.

Current DED Expiration Date:      March 31, 2019

DED Period:        April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019

EADs Auto-Extended Through:  September 30, 2018

Federal Register Notice Citation:               83 FR 13767

In 2007, President George W. Bush had directed that Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) be provided for 18 months to certain Liberians in the United States whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was expiring on September 30, 2007.

President Bush further directed Homeland Security to issue procedures for granting work authorization to DED-covered Liberians. DED has continued to be extended for Liberians since that initial period and was set to expire on March 31, 2018.

On March 27, 2018, President Trump, after consulting relevant executive branch agencies, issued a memorandum directing Secretary Nielsen to begin a 12-month DED wind-down period and to provide for continued work authorization throughout the wind-down period.

This 12-month transitional period of DED allows affected individuals to arrange for their departure from the United States, or seek an alternative lawful immigration status in the United States, if eligible, before DED ends on March 31, 2019.

Those eligible for employment authorization under the 12-month transitional period:

Must have continuously resided in the United States since October 1, 2002; and are current beneficiaries under DED for Liberia.

Current Liberia DED-related EADs bearing a March 31, 2018, expiration date and an A-11 category will be automatically extended for 6 months until September 30, 2018.