national

For the third time in three years, some 1,000 Liberians living in Minnesota under a special immigration status breathed a collective sigh of relief Friday after learning they won't be forced to leave.

At least for now.

President Obama extended their temporary status, set to expire on March 31, by 18 months.

That's longer than the 12-month reprieve he granted last March, when anxiety levels in the community were high because it was Obama's first brush with the issue. Supporters said Friday's order allows more time to push for legislation that would grant the affected Liberians a path to permanent citizenship.

"We need a bill that gives the Liberians permanent residency," said Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, both Minnesota Democrats, applauded the extension.

Minnesota is home to an estimated 25,000 Liberians, making it one of the largest populations of any state. Most live in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.

The presidential order applies to Liberians who fled the country amid years of civil war and who are living legally in the United States under what's known as "deferred enforced departure status."

Aba Hamilton-Dolo, one of many local Liberians with DED status, called the extension "wonderful." She said the 18-month grace period is better than 12 months because it gives people more time to apply for and receive new employment cards and seek a better immigration status.

"That buys you time in more than one way," she said.

There was less anxiety this year among local Liberians for a number of reasons.

Obama was a new president last year and had no track record on the issue. The timeline between his inauguration and the March deadline was short, and the nation's economic woes overshadowed other issues at the time.

"That last year was very tense," said Hamilton-Dolo, a Coon Rapids mother in the process of seeking permanent residency status in the United States.

She said most people living on the deferred enforced departure status do not have that option.

"I'm only able to do it because my husband is now a (U.S.) citizen," she said. Originally from Liberia, he has a green card and was able to secure his citizenship last year.

Liberian is a war-ravaged country with no electricity and running water. Life expectancy is only 42 years.

Thousands of Liberians fled the country and came to America in 1989 after a bloody civil war broke out in their homeland, and have since then been granted regular extensions because of the ongoing conflict.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R. I., praised the extension and said Liberians have become part of the "fabric of communities across the United States."

Allie Shah • 612-673-4488