Biden Defers Removal of Lebanese Nationals in US

President Joe Biden gestures as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on July 29, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden has decided to allow many Lebanese nationals in the United States to be safe from removal, after several lawmakers urged him to act.

“Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel,” the president said in a July 26 memorandum for the secretaries of state and homeland security.

“While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States,” he added.

The action applies to all Lebanese nationals in the United States with limited exceptions, including nationals who have been convicted of a felony or at least two misdemeanors while in the country.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), among the lawmakers who had urged the president to defer the removal of the Lebanese, said the move shields about 11,500 nationals.

“Michigan is home to many Lebanese Americans who continue to watch their families suffer as Lebanon faces an unprecedented economic, political, and financial disaster that has resulted in an urgent and devastating humanitarian crisis,” Dingell said in a statement. “The United States has long offered refuge to those seeking shelter from catastrophe, and I have long worked for Deferred Enforced Departure and Temporary Protected Status to grant safety and security to those who need it most. I thank the administration for this important step to protect these families, who are true Americans, and will continue to advocate for TPS.”

Temporary Protected Status can be bestowed upon nationals from certain countries if federal officials determine conditions in the countries prevent nationals from returning safely.

Armed conflict and environmental disasters such as hurricanes are among the conditions that typically trigger the status.

Nationals granted the status cannot be detained by federal agents based on his or her immigration status.

Twenty-six members of the House of Representatives, including Reps. Daniel Kildee (D-Mich.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) recently called for the president to grant the status, pointing to widespread poverty in Lebanon and how the Israel-Gaza war has caused more than 55,000 people from southern Lebanon “to flee to other regions of the country.”

The U.S. State Department, due to the conflict and its repercussions, has advised Americans in Lebanon to leave the country.

“The United States has long offered refuge to those seeking shelter from catastrophe,” the lawmakers wrote. “The crisis in the Middle East and the complex crisis in Lebanon provides an opportunity to honor this commitment by supporting Lebanese nationals in their time of need.”