Trump Is Ending Deportation Protection For Liberians

The Trump administration will discontinue a Clinton-era program that granted Liberian citizens special immigration status.

On Tuesday night, the administration announced its plan to end the Deferred Enforcement Departure program, formed under Bill Clinton in 1999 which allowed Liberians, many of whom had lived through the Second Civil War, to live and work in the US legally, reports AP News.

The program's recipients will be given a one year "wind down" period before they must return to Liberia.

The program, which was extended under the Bush and Obama administrations, will cease under Trump, as he believes that it is no longer needed. The country is "no longer experiencing armed conflict," he said in a memorandum. Also adding that Libera has made "significant progress in restoring stability and democratic governance."

According the the Department of Homeland Security, a total of 839 Liberians are current beneficiaries of the program. Their protections will expire on March 31, 2019.

Trump has cut several programs that protect immigrant rights since the start of his presidency. His administration has also worked to scale down the Temporary Protected Status program which allows similar work protections to citizens from identified nations.

Last year, he rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood (DACA) policy, putting nearly 800,000 immigrants brought to the United States before the age of 16 at risk of deportation.