[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15437-15439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8336]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Immigration and Naturalization Service
[INS No. 1910-98; AG Order No. 2146-98]
RIN 1115-AE26


Termination of Designation of Liberia Under Temporary Protected 
Status Program After Final 6-Month Extension

AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice terminates the Attorney General's designation of 
Liberia under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program provided for 
in section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended 
(Act). Eligible aliens who are national of Liberia (and eligible aliens 
who have no nationality and last habitually resided in Liberia) may re-
register for TPS and extension of employment authorization for a final 
6-month period.

EFFECTIVE DATES: Termination of the Temporary Protected Status 
designation for Liberia is effective September 28, 1998, and the TPS 
designation for Liberia is extended for a final 6-month period, from 
March 29, 1998, to September 28, 1998. The main re-registration 
procedures become effective on March 31, 1998, and will remain in 
effect until April 29, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Chirlin, Adjudications Officer, 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, Room 3214, 425 I Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20536, telephone (202) 514-5014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 244 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254, 
the Attorney General is authorized to grant TPS to eligible aliens who 
are nationals of a foreign state designated by

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the Attorney General (or who have no nationality and last habitually 
resided in that state). The Attorney General may designate a state upon 
finding that the state is experiencing ongoing armed conflict, 
environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions 
that prevent nationals or residents of the country from returning to it 
in safety.
    On March 27, 1991, the Attorney General designated Liberia for 
Temporary Protected Status for a period of 12 months, 56 FR 12746. the 
Attorney General subsequently extended the designation of Liberia under 
the TPS program of six additional 12-month periods, with the last 
extension valid until March 28, 1998, 62 FR 16608. While extending the 
designation of Liberia under the TPS program, the Attorney General also 
concurrently redesignated Liberia under the TPS program. This 
concurrent extension and redesignation, which was published on April 7, 
1997, made TPS available to eligible Liberian TPS applicants who have 
``continuously resided in the United States'' since June 1, 1996, and 
who had been ``continuously present in the United states'' since April 
7, 1997.
    Section 244(b)(3)(A) of the Act requires the Attorney General to 
review, at least 60 days before the end of the initial period of 
designation or any extended period of designation, the conditions in a 
foreign state designated under section 244(b)(1) of the Act. The 
section also requires the Attorney General to determine whether the 
conditions for such a designation continue to be met, and to terminate 
the state's designation when the Attorney General determines that the 
foreign state no longer continues to meet those conditions.
    This notice terminates the designation of Liberia under the TPS 
program. There may be other avenues of immigration relief, such as 
asylum, withholding of removal, and cancellation of removal, available 
to Liberians in the United States who believe that their particular 
circumstances make return to Liberia unsafe. Those Liberians who have 
not applied for asylum, withholding of removal, or cancellation of 
removal, or who are not eligible to apply for permanent residence under 
any of the established employment or family-based categories, must 
depart the United States to avoid accruing any periods of unlawful 
presence that would later subject them to the 3- or 10-year bars to 
admission under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i) of the Act.
    In accordance with section 244(B)(3)(B) and (C) of the Act, this 
termination will be effective on September 28, 1998, following the 
final 6-month extension granted by this notice. This notice also 
describes the procedures with which eligible aliens who are nationals 
of Liberia (or who have no nationality and who last habitually resided 
in Liberia) must comply in order to re-register for TPS during this 
final 6-month period.
    In addition to timely re-registrations and late re-registrations 
authorized by this notice's extension of Liberia's TPS designation, 
late initial registrations are possible for some Liberians under 8 CFR 
244.2(f)(2), formerly 8 CFR 240.2(f)(2). Such late initial registrants 
must have been ``continuously physically present'' in the United States 
since June 1, 1996, must have had a valid immigrant or non-immigrant 
status during the original registration period, and must register no 
later than 30 days from the expiration of such status.
    The Immigration and Naturalization Service requires all TPS 
registrants to submit Form I-765, Application for Employment 
Authorization, for data-gathering purposes. Therefore, a Form I-765 
must always be submitted with the Application for Temporary Protected 
Status, Form I-821, as part of either a re-registration or late initial 
registration, even if employment authorization is not requested. The 
appropriate filing fee must accompany Form I-765 unless a properly 
documented fee waiver request, pursuant to 8 CFR 244.20, is submitted 
to the Immigration and Naturalization Service or unless the applicant 
does not request employment authorization.

Notice of Termination of Designation of Liberia Under the TPS 
Program

    By the authority vested in me as Attorney General under section 244 
of the Act, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1254), and pursuant to section 
244(b)(3) of the Act, I have had consultations with the appropriate 
agencies of the U.S. Government concerning (a) the conditions in 
Liberia; and (b) whether permitting nationals of Liberia (and aliens 
having no nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia) to remain 
temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest 
of the United States.
    As a result of these consultations, I have determined that Liberia 
no longer continues to meet the conditions for designation of TPS under 
section 244(b)(1) of the Act. This determination has been based on the 
understanding that the Department of State will review security 
conditions in Liberia prior to the September 28, 1998, expiration date 
of the TPS designation for Liberia. The Department of State could, 
therefore, provide additional information regarding the possible 
redesignation for Liberia.
    According to information supplied to me by the Department of State, 
I understand that overall security conditions in Liberia have improved 
during the past year. Elections were held and the new Liberian 
Government's policy is to welcome back Liberian refugees. Improved 
stability and security throughout most of Liberia has led the U.S. 
Government to support the repatriation of Liberian refugees in 
neighboring countries.
    In view of the Department of State's recommendation for 
termination, I have determined that TPS is no longer appropriate for 
Liberia in general. Accordingly, it is ordered as follows:
    (1) The TPS designation of Liberia under section 244(b)(3) of the 
Act is extended for a final 6-month period starting March 29, 1998, and 
terminating September 28, 1998.
    (2) I estimate that there are approximately 8,000 nationals of 
Liberia (and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided 
in Liberia) who have been granted Temporary Protected Status and are 
eligible for the final 6-month period of re-registration.
    (3) In order to maintain current registration for TPS, a national 
of Liberia (or an alien having no nationality who last habitually 
resided in Liberia) who received a grant of TPS based upon the initial 
March 27, 1991, designation, or based upon the April 7, 1997, 
redesignation, must comply with the re-registration requirements 
contained in 8 CFR 244.17, formerly 8 CFR 240.17, which are described 
in pertinent part in paragraphs (4) and (5) of this notice.
    (4) A national of Liberia (or an alien having no nationality who 
last habitually resided in Liberia) who has been granted TPS and wishes 
to maintain that status must re-register by filing a new Form I-821, 
Application For Temporary Protected Status, together with a Form I-865, 
Application for Employment Authorization, within the 30-day period 
beginning on March 31, 1998, and ending April 30, 1998, in order to be 
eligible for TPS during the period from March 29, 1998 to September 28, 
1998. Late re-registration applications will be allowed pursuant to 8 
CFR 244.17(c), formerly 8 CFR 240.17(c).
    (5) There is no fee for Form I-821 filed as part of the re-
registration application. A Form I-765 must be filed at the same time. 
If the alien requests employment authorization for the 6-month 
extension period, the fee prescribed in 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1),

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currently seventy dollars ($70), must accompany the Form I-765. An 
alien who does not request employment authorization must nonetheless 
file Form I-765, together with Form I-821, but in such cases no fee 
will be charged.
    (6) Information concerning the TPS program for nationals of Liberia 
(and aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in 
Liberia) will be available at local Immigration and Naturalization 
Service offices upon publication of this notice.

    Dated: March 25, 1998.
Janet Reno,
Attorney General.
[FR Doc. 98-8336 Filed 3-30-98; 8:45 am]
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