America's Liberian community prepares for deportation

Liberians are the latest community impacted by the U.S. government's
crack down on legal and illegal immigration

Tens of thousands of Liberians escaped their country's civil war in
the 80s and 90s, finding refuge in the United States.

But U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an end to a special
temporary protected status program, meaning more than 4,000 Liberian
immigrants will be deported in 12 months time.

Nick Harper reports from one of America's largest affected
communities, in New York's Staten Island.

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TAKE VO
Learning to live with the consequences. At this education center on
Staten Island the Liberian community is working out what the
immigration changes mean, and coordinating action against the
proposals. Lawrence Cooper is one of those here who'll be affected.

SOT - Lawrence Cooper, Liberian national: "It's in uproar right now to
every community across the US. Staten Islanders to Minnesota, you've
got places in Georgia, you've got places in Trenton, New Jersey,
Philadelphia."

TAKE VO
Emmanuel Wheagar has spent the last two decades helping Liberian
immigrants settle in the United States.
He says the deportations will hurt many people here.

SOT - Emmanuel Randolph Wheagar, Community Leader: "You build a life
for 20 years - you have to undo that in one year. // To have Liberians
who are business owners who are family people here to have their
children in college. Just to up and leave to go back to Liberia is
devastating."

TAKE VO
New York City's 'Little Liberia' is a community built off the back of conflict.
The thousands who fled here to escape civil war were granted Deferred
Enforced Departure, or D.E.D.
Rufus Arkoi has spent 27 years building up the Liberian community in
Staten Island through sports and education programs.

SOT - Rufus Arkoi, Leader, Roza Promotions: "They are productive
citizens. They have served this country in different ways, supporting
the economy, providing and paying taxes, being good citizens, staying
away from trouble, going to school, bettering themselves. Extend to
them the next step from the D.E.D., that is permanent residency."

TAKE VO
Many argue their length of time in the US under D.E.D. should make
them eligible to stay permanently.
But the conditions of the program don't allow for automatic transition
to a longer-term visa.
The Trump administration says conditions in Liberia have improved
enough in recent years to allow safe return. Liberians like Lasannah
Gray a soccer coach in the community.

SOT - Lasannah Gray, Soccer coach: "I would say yes it's peaceful now,
they're on the right track, everybody's mind is staying away from
violence. But the economy is not set to host all these people going
back to Liberia. Liberia might be, is there home, but they've been
away for so many years, some of them don't even have homes there."

TAKE VO
And while Liberia's economy remains fragile they say they're helping
from afar, by sending money to relatives back home, assisting their
homeland's rebuilding efforts.
The clock is now ticking for Staten Island's Little Liberia. In 12
months time, if government rules stay the same, this community will be
significantly impacted. The people here say they'll do everything they
can before then to make sure that doesn't happen.
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