Washington, DC, July 26, 2024. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, commends President Joe Biden for signing a Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) directive for Lebanese nationals in the United States.
Today, President Biden officially signed the directive for Lebanese, which states the president has “determined that it is in the foreign policy interest of the United States to defer for 18 months the removal of any Lebanese national.”
Since the start of Lebanon’s economic crisis, ATFL has been calling for President Biden to declare Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or DED to protect Lebanese nationals in the US, approximately 11,500 eligible individuals, from having to return to an increasingly unstable country. At various points during the current hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, the US has labeled Lebanon with Level 3 travel (Reconsider Travel) and Level 4 (Do Not Travel) travel designations.
“We want to thank President Biden for standing with the Lebanese people today,” said ATFL President Ed Gabriel. “Today’s directive sends a powerful message to the Lebanese people that they are not forgotten. ATFL would like to congratulate our board member Manal Saab for her many years of successful advocacy for this cause. We would also like thank Senator Gary Peters and Representative Debbie Dingell for their leadership in this effort. The civic engagement of Michigan’s Lebanese American community was crucial to making this effort successful,” he added.
ATFL encourages Lebanese nationals in the US who might be eligible for this directive to read the full announcement, fill out all requested documentation, and contact US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with any questions.
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Click here to read the full announcement
Click here for more information on DED
