[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S24]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Durbin, Ms. 
        Klobuchar, and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 2275. A bill to provide for the adjustment of status of certain 
nationals of Liberia to that of lawful permanent residents and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Liberian Refugee 
Immigration Fairness Act of 2018 along with Senators Whitehouse, 
Durbin, Klobuchar, and Cardin.
  In 1989, a seven-year civil war broke out in Liberia that would claim 
the lives of over 150,000 people and displace more than half of the 
Liberian population. A second civil war followed from 1999 to 2003. 
Then in 2014, Liberia's recovering health system faced the challenge of 
responding to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. As a result of 
all of these tragedies, thousands of Liberians have sought refuge in 
the United States, living and working here under the Temporary 
Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) systems.
  The simple truth is that the United States is now home to these law-
abiding and tax-paying Liberians. They fled violence, disease, and 
turmoil to come here. Many now have children who are American citizens, 
some of whom serve in the Armed Forces. They have worked hard, played 
by the rules, paid their dues, and submitted to rigorous background 
checks and vetting. And, while I and several of my colleagues have 
worked for years to urge the extension of legal status for this 
community, DED for Liberians is set to expire next March.
  I have offered the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act in every 
Congress since 1999 because this community deserves a long-term 
solution after decades of uncertainty. If nothing is done, American 
families will be thrown into crisis and torn apart. This legislation 
provides legal status and a pathway to citizenship for qualifying 
Liberian refugees.
  This legislation is a much-needed first step for a community in need, 
and should be part of any bipartisan and comprehensive solution for our 
broken immigration system. I thank Senators Whitehouse, Durbin, 
Klobuchar, and Cardin for cosponsoring this bill and urge my colleagues 
to join us to finally provide citizenship for Liberians who contribute 
so much to our American community.

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