New York, New York — As part of the recently passed national defense bill, up to 4,000 Liberian immigrants who have lived in the United States with temporary legal status are now eligible to receive green cards. Bretz & Coven, LLP is urging Liberian nationals to start the application process immediately and begin their path to citizenship.
On December 26, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency will accept applications for green cards from Liberian immigrants and their families who have been in this country for the past five years. Once they hold a green card for five years, they can become eligible for U.S. citizenship.
Thousands of Liberians fled to the U.S. under the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program, a temporary protection that prevented them from being deported. They escaped Liberia, which has undergone civil war, an unstable economy and a widespread health epidemic as a result of the Ebola virus.
“We are asking Liberian immigrants with temporary legal status to submit their green card applications as soon as possible,” says Eileen Bretz, Managing Partner, Bretz & Coven, LLP. “These people were fortunate to escape the political, social and economic unrest that has plagued their home country for decades. Green cards provide them a pathway to citizenship; that way, they will not be removed by immigration authorities and forced to return to their homeland.”
For more information, call (212) 267-2555 or visit www.bretzlaw.com.
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About Bretz & Coven, LLP
Bretz & Coven, LLP is an immigration law firm located in New York, New York; Bronx, New York and Clark, New Jersey. The firm serves clients in and around the tri-state area, including Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Queens, as well as Kings County and Richmond County. Its team of dedicated attorneys is known for taking on cases that other lawyers turn down. Bretz & Coven assists individuals and their families understand the process of obtaining citizenship, New York residency or a green card and offer them a full range of options, including adjustment of status, asylum, available types of visas, waivers, removal defense, and special programs and treaties. The attorneys can also help immigrants avoid deportation. For more information, call (212) 267-2555 or visit www.bretzlaw.com.
