U.S. President Joe Biden meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, July 25, 2024. (Credit: Jim Watson/AFP)
On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a decree protecting Lebanese nationals in the United States from deportation, allowing them to remain in the country for an extended period. This information was initially reported by Al-Arabiya, citing sources close to the White House, and later by LBCI.
According to the text published on the White House website, President Biden “directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate measures to permit the employment of individuals whose deportation has been deferred (...) and to consider suspending regulatory requirements for F-1 non-immigrant students who are Lebanese nationals (...) The Secretary of Homeland Security is authorized to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.”
President Biden also justified the decision by citing “the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.” He added, “While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain at risk; therefore, I am ordering the deferral of deportation for certain Lebanese nationals present in the United States.”
Exceptions
The decree outlines several exceptions:
- Lebanese who voluntarily returned to Lebanon after the date of this memorandum;
- Those who have not continuously resided in the United States since the date of this memorandum;
- Those who are inadmissible to the U.S. under “Section 212(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3))” or who are “deportable under Section 237(a)(4) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4))”;
- Those convicted of a crime or two or more misdemeanors in the U.S., or who meet “one of the criteria outlined in Section 208(b)(2)(A) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(2)(A))”;
- Those subject to an extradition request;
- Those whose presence in the U.S. is not in the interest of the U.S. or poses a threat to public safety;
- Those for whom the Secretary of State has reasonable grounds to believe their presence would have potentially severe negative consequences for U.S. foreign policy.
According to Al-Arabiya, the decree will affect approximately 12,000 Lebanese individuals, including about 1,700 students studying in the U.S., and will allow eligible Lebanese nationals to apply for work permits. It is expected to grant these individuals an additional 18 months to stay in the U.S.
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) is an administrative measure taken by the U.S. President that allows foreign nationals temporarily residing in the U.S. to remain in the country beyond their visa or immigration status validity while being protected from deportation. It is generally used in situations where conditions in the individual's home country are difficult or dangerous, such as armed conflicts, natural disasters, or political crises, to offer temporary protection to those who could be at risk if returned home.
Currently, Liberians, Hongkongers and Palestinians are covered by DED in the U.S. President Biden signed a decree in February suspending the deportations of Palestinians for 18 months, allowing nearly 6,000 eligible Palestinians to stay an additional year and a half in the U.S. and work legally.
This decision by President Biden comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the U.S. The American President met with him on Thursday, urging him to “finalize” the ceasefire agreement to “bring the hostages home” and “bring a lasting end to the war” in Gaza.
