Minnesota Liberians told to go home

PLYMOUTH – Hundreds of Liberians carried signs, prayed and sang as they rallied at congressional offices in Minnesota on Tuesday in hopes of reversing a federal government order that they leave the country by October 1.

The group toured the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in school buses, church vans and private cars.The caravan planned to end at the State Capitol in St.Paul, the Star Tribune newspaper reported.”We are bringing our people out so that everyone can see the human faces of those asking for your help,” James Kollie, a Liberian community leader, told the newspaper outside the Plymouth office of Republican Representative Jim Ramstad.Ramstad is in Washington, DC while Congress is in session.Liberians have been allowed to live and work in the US since 1991 due to civil war in their homeland.The US Department of Homeland Security announced last fall that it was ending the Liberians’ Temporary Protected Status on October 1, saying the situation in Liberia is becoming stabilised and a democratically elected government is rebuilding.By most estimates, there are at least 1 000 Liberians in Minnesota on temporary status and nearly 4 000 across the United States.Minnesota also is home to thousands of Liberians who have become US citizens or won permanent residency and will not be affected by the ruling.Bills before Congress would allow Liberians on temporary status to apply for permanent residency.Nampa-APPaul area in school buses, church vans and private cars.The caravan planned to end at the State Capitol in St.Paul, the Star Tribune newspaper reported.”We are bringing our people out so that everyone can see the human faces of those asking for your help,” James Kollie, a Liberian community leader, told the newspaper outside the Plymouth office of Republican Representative Jim Ramstad.Ramstad is in Washington, DC while Congress is in session.Liberians have been allowed to live and work in the US since 1991 due to civil war in their homeland.The US Department of Homeland Security announced last fall that it was ending the Liberians’ Temporary Protected Status on October 1, saying the situation in Liberia is becoming stabilised and a democratically elected government is rebuilding.By most estimates, there are at least 1 000 Liberians in Minnesota on temporary status and nearly 4 000 across the United States.Minnesota also is home to thousands of Liberians who have become US citizens or won permanent residency and will not be affected by the ruling.Bills before Congress would allow Liberians on temporary status to apply for permanent residency.Nampa-AP