2024-07-26 16:22:40
U.S. officials revealed that the presidential memorandum has been prepared for several months and “does not mean that Washington is worried about an imminent all-out war on the Lebanese-Israeli border.” Biden’s memorandum is expected to affect about 12,000 Lebanese, including about 1,700 students studying in the United States, and allow eligible Lebanese citizens to apply for work permits.
Biden issued a memo to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas with the aim of “delaying the forced departure of some Lebanese nationals from the United States,” citing concerns that “due to tensions in southern Lebanon “The humanitarian situation has seriously deteriorated” between Hezbollah and Israel. “While I remain focused on calming the situation and improving the humanitarian situation, many civilians remain at risk,” he added. “
“In accordance with my constitutional authority to manage the foreign relations of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy interests of the United States to defer the deportation of any Lebanese citizen for 18 months, subject to specific conditions and exceptions,” he declared.
These presidential directives were sent to the Secretary of Homeland Security to “take appropriate steps to postpone the deportation of any Lebanese citizen in the United States, excluding those who “voluntarily return to Lebanon after the date of this memorandum,” dated July 26, 2024, and persons who are “not continuously present in the United States” as of that date and who are “inadmissible” or “deportable” under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
Exceptions also include “persons who have been convicted of any one, two, or more felonies in the United States, or who meet any of the criteria set forth in certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act” and “persons subject to legal sanctions” “. extradition,” and the Department of Homeland Security determines that “their presence in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. interests or poses a threat to public safety,” or “the Secretary of Homeland Security believes that their presence in the United States would be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy.” potentially serious consequences.
He also directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to take “appropriate steps to authorize the hiring of non-citizens whose deportations have been deferred during the deferral period and to consider suspending supervisory requirements for non-immigrant students who hold F1 student visas and hold Lebanese citizenship” .
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