Friends of Liberia Issues a Call to Action
       Immigration Relief Now for Liberian Families

Tens of thousands of Liberians are living in the United States in legal 
limbo. Most fled Liberia's civil war and have spent the last decade 
raising their families and contributing in very positive ways to 
American society. The President recently extended for one-year their 
temporary status in the United States, but he agreed that the best 
solution is for Congress to grant Liberians the opportunity for legal 
permanent status in the United States.

So far Congress has not legislated immigration relief to Liberians 
despite the hard work of many organizations and the Liberian Community. 
Voting 43 for and 55 against, the Senate on September 27 refused to 
advance a measure benefiting Liberians. This occurred during debate on a 
bill (S2045) to increase the number of H-1B visas for skilled immigrants 
in order to fill thousands of American technology jobs. Many Senators 
voting against this proposed "immigration" amendment to the H-1B 
legislation did so because of a debate over procedural rules and not 
because of opposition to providing relief to Liberians. It is ominous 
that just the day before this vote a high ranking official of the U.N. 
High Commissioner for Refugees declared that Liberia's borders were to 
unsafe for Liberian refugees to return to their country.

The Senate still has an opportunity in these closing days of the 106th 
Congress to extend permanent residence to Liberians. This might be done 
as an amendment or rider to one of the several FY2001 Appropriations 
Bills that are still pending a vote by the Senate including the 
appropriation bill for Commerce, Justice and State (HR 4690). If 
legislation is not passed this term, Liberian families, many with 
children who only know the United States, will be left to a very 
uncertain and potentially disruptive future. 

Tell the Senate to do the Right Thing

Friends of Liberia asks that you to SEND AN E-MAIL TODAY to the 
following eight influential members of the Senate urging them to do the 
right thing and support legislation that will provide lasting relief 
from deportation and the opportunity for permanent resident status to 
Liberians. 

Senator Spencer Abraham (Michigan)
michigan@abraham.senate.gov
Fax 202 224 8834

Senator Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania)
Senator_specter@specter.senate.gov
Fax 202 228 1229

Senator Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania)
pennstater@santorum.senate.gov
Fax 202 228 0604

Senator Tom Daschle (Senate Minority Leader, South Dakota)
tom_daschle@daschle.senate.gov
Fax 202 224 7895

Senator Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island)
senator_chafee@chafee.senate.gov
Fax 202 228 2853

Senator Trent Lott (Majority Leader, Mississippi)
senatorlott@lott.senate.gov
Fax 202 224 2262

Senator John Warner (Virginia)
senator@warner.senate.gov

Senator Chuck Hagel (Nebraska)
No Public E-Mail
fax 202 224 5213

We suggest that you provide the Senators your name and mailing address 
and mark the subject line of your e-mail as "Support Relief Now for 
Liberian Families in the U.S."

We are hopeful that your passionate appeals to these Senators will help 
produce support for legislative action providing immigration relief to 
Liberians.

Below is a sample letter or e-mail. Please, however, rephrase it in your 
own words. When Senators receive numerous copies of the same letter or 
e-mail, the overall effect is diminished.

Thank you!

 SAMPLE LETTER OR E-MAIL

Dear Senator _____________:

I want to urge you to support legislation that will provide lasting 
relief from deportation and the opportunity for permanent resident 
status to Liberians.

As you know, thousands of Liberians are living in the United States in 
legal limbo. Most fled Liberia's civil war and have spent the last 
decade raising their families and contributing in very positive ways to 
American society. President Clinton recently allowed these Liberians to 
remain in the United States for another year by pushing back the date of 
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). However, the President noted that the 
best solution is for Congress to grant Liberians the opportunity for 
legal permanent status in the United States.

I believe Liberians should be granted permanent resident status in the 
United States. This will allow these individuals who have been 
contributing to our society in many ways to be able to assume regular 
jobs without the yearly concern that their lives will be disrupted and 
they will be forced to return to Liberia. Many of these Liberians have 
children either born in the United States or who have spent most of 
their lives here. The hardships these families would face if forced to 
return to Liberia, where peace and democracy are still fragile, are 
enormous.

The Senate still has an opportunity in these closing days of the 106th 
Congress to extend permanent residence to Liberians. I hope you will use 
your influence to see that this is done. It is the right thing to do.

Thanks for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address
e-mail address