THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                        (New Orleans, Louisiana)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                 September 27, 1999

                           September 27, 1999

MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

SUBJECT:     Measures Regarding Certain Liberians
             in the United States


Over the past 10 years, many Liberians have been forced to flee their
country due to civil war and widespread violence.  From 1991 through
1999, we have provided Liberians in the United States with Temporary
Protected Status because of these difficulties.  Although the civil war
in Liberia ended in 1996 and conditions have improved such that a
further extension of Temporary Protected Status is no longer warranted,
the political and economic situation continues to be fragile.  There are
com-pelling foreign policy reasons not to deport these Liberians at this
time, including the significant risk that such a decision would cause
other countries in West Africa to repatriate involuntarily many
thousands of Liberian refugees, leading to instability in Liberia and
potentially threatening peace along the Liberian border.

Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations
of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy
interest of the United States to defer for 1 year the deportation of any
Liberian national who is present in the United States as of September
29, 1999, except for the categories of individuals listed below.

Accordingly, I now direct you to take the necessary steps to implement
for these Liberians:

     1.   deferral of enforced departure from the United States for 1
          year from September 29, 1999; and

     2.   authorization for employment for 1 year from September 29,
          1999.

This directive shall not apply to any Liberian national:  (1) who is
ineligible for Temporary Protected Status for the reasons provided in
section 244(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (2) whose
removal you determine is in the interest of the United States; (3) whose
presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has
reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse
foreign policy consequences for the United States; (4) who voluntarily
returned or returns to Liberia or his or her country of last habitual
residence outside the United States; (5) who was deported, excluded, or
removed prior to the date of this memorandum; or (6) who is subject to
extradition.

These measures shall be taken as of the date of this memorandum.


                                 WILLIAM J. CLINTON



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