Dean Phillips: “Our Nation is the land of promise and the land of opportunity. We open our doors to the tired, to the poor, and to the…”

“Our Nation is the land of promise and the land of opportunity. We open our doors to the tired, to the poor, and to the huddled masses. And, for decades, we have opened our doors to Liberian refugees fleeing vicious civil wars and the Ebola virus. The Liberian community in Minnesota--my home State--is the hardworking bedrock of our healthcare industry. They are parents, children, brothers, sisters, workers, businessowners, and taxpayers. In 1999, they were given a special immigration status in the United States: deferred enforced departure, or DED. They work legally, they pay taxes, but currently have no pathway to citizenship. Madam Speaker, if you are here legally, play by the rules, and contribute to your community, you should have nothing to fear. But if we don't act by March 31, the Liberian community's DED status will expire. It will subject our friends and our neighbors to deportation, and our community is terrified. Since its inception, DED has been a bipartisan issue. Both Republican and Democratic Presidents have acted to extend it for two decades. Now it is our turn. This week, we have the chance to send a legislative fix to the President's desk. I urge all of us, on both sides of the aisle, to do the right thing, the humane thing, and keep our Liberian community here in their homes in the United States of America. ____________________”