BOSTON, USA – Two civil rights organizations sued the Trump administration Friday on behalf of 15 Liberian immigrants over the president’s decision to end a humanitarian program that allows them to live and work in the U.S.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Lawyers for Civil Rights filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston.
The lawsuit challenges President Donald Trump’s decision in March 2018 to end the Deferred Enforced Departure program, which has been renewed by previous Democratic and Republican administrations. It is due to expire at the end of this month.
The lawsuit says the decision is unconstitutional and based on race, ethnicity and national origin, and would break apart families. Some of the Liberian immigrants have children who are U.S. citizens.
“Defendant Trump has a history of bigoted remarks and actions that make clear that he holds racial animus against immigrants of color,” according to the lawsuit.
The program protects about 4,000 Liberian immigrants who came from the African nation to escape environmental disasters, the Ebola virus and war, the organizations said.
An email seeking comment on the lawsuit was sent to the Justice Department. A memo signed by Trump last year says conditions in the country have improved, so the program is no longer needed.
“We will not stand idly by as immigrants of color are threatened with detention and deportation,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, in an emailed statement. “We will not allow the Trump Administration to trample on our dignity and our constitutional rights. We will resist all forms of discrimination, and we will hold the Trump Administration accountable for attacking Liberian families.”
In addition to the 15 Liberian immigrants, the organizations African Communities Together and the UndocuBlack Network are named as plaintiffs.
Liberia was first granted TPS in the 1990s, at the height of its civil war. In 2007, President George W. Bush continued protections for Liberians under DED that were extended under President Barack Obama.
In March, U.S. President Trump ended DED protections for Liberians, justifying the move by saying Liberia was no longer embroiled in armed conflict and had recovered from the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
The Trump administration’s decision to unravel not only DED, but some TPS and DACA protections as well, has left over 310,000 immigrants in the lurch. This feeling of uncertainty is pronounced among Liberians, 4,000 of whom have less than a month to decide whether to return to a country where they have few ties, or risk being deported by the federal government.
Liberians with DED have spent years in the United States, building their lives while following the law. Some are small business owners, faith leaders, and medical professionals. Without them, some communities may take a hit, according to ThinkProgress.
Sources: THE ISLAND PACKET and ThinkProgress
