Title: Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2019
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant permanent residence status to qualifying nationals of Liberia.
The program shall be available to a Liberian national who has been continuously present in the United States from November 20, 2014, until the filing of an application for adjustment to permanent residence status, or the spouse or child of such an individual. The individual must apply within one year of the bill's enactment, be otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant visa, and not be inadmissible under various grounds. Certain grounds for inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act, such as being a public charge, shall not apply.
An individual shall be ineligible if the individual has been convicted of an aggravated felony, convicted of two or more crimes involving moral turpitude, or has participated in the persecution of a person for reasons such as race, nationality, or political opinion.
DHS shall promulgate regulations to establish procedures by which an alien who is subject to a final order of deportation, removal, or exclusion may seek a stay of such order based on the filing of an application to adjust status. If there is no such final order, DHS shall stay removal proceedings if a qualified alien submits an application for adjustment of status.
DHS shall authorize an individual for employment if that individual's application has been pending for more than 180 days, and may also provide employment authorization before that.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 456 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 456

To provide for the adjustment of status of certain nationals of Liberia 
     to that of lawful permanent residents, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 2019

 Mr. Reed (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. 
 Smith, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Van Hollen, and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the adjustment of status of certain nationals of Liberia 
     to that of lawful permanent residents, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Liberian Refugee Immigration 
Fairness Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise specifically provided, 
        any term used in this Act that is used in the immigration laws 
        shall have the meaning given the term in the immigration laws.
            (2) Immigration laws.--The term ``immigration laws'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 101(a)(17) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17)).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Homeland Security.

SEC. 3. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.

    (a) Adjustment of Status.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), the 
        Secretary shall adjust the status of an alien described in 
        subsection (b) to that of an alien lawfully admitted for 
        permanent residence if the alien--
                    (A) applies for adjustment not later than 1 year 
                after the date of the enactment of this Act;
                    (B) is otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant 
                visa; and
                    (C) subject to paragraph (2), is admissible to the 
                United States for permanent residence.
            (2) Applicability of grounds of inadmissibility.--In 
        determining the admissibility of an alien under paragraph 
        (1)(C), the grounds of inadmissibility specified in paragraphs 
        (4), (5), (6)(A), and (7)(A) of section 212(a) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)) shall not 
        apply.
            (3) Exceptions.--An alien shall not be eligible for 
        adjustment of status under this subsection if the Secretary 
        determines that the alien--
                    (A) has been convicted of any aggravated felony;
                    (B) has been convicted of 2 or more crimes 
                involving moral turpitude; or
                    (C) has ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise 
                participated in the persecution of any person on 
                account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a 
                particular social group, or political opinion.
            (4) Relationship of application to certain orders.--
                    (A) In general.--An alien present in the United 
                States who has been subject to an order of exclusion, 
                deportation, removal, or voluntary departure under any 
                provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
                U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) may, notwithstanding such order, 
                submit an application for adjustment of status under 
                this subsection if the alien is otherwise eligible for 
                adjustment of status under paragraph (1).
                    (B) Separate motion not required.--An alien 
                described in subparagraph (A) shall not be required, as 
                a condition of submitting or granting an application 
                under this subsection, to file a separate motion to 
                reopen, reconsider, or vacate an order described in 
                subparagraph (A).
                    (C) Effect of decision by secretary.--
                            (i) Grant.--If the Secretary adjusts the 
                        status of an alien pursuant to an application 
                        under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
                        cancel any order described in subparagraph (A) 
                        to which the alien has been subject.
                            (ii) Denial.--If the Secretary makes a 
                        final decision to deny such application, any 
                        such order shall be effective and enforceable 
                        to the same extent that such order would be 
                        effective and enforceable if the application 
                        had not been made.
    (b) Aliens Eligible for Adjustment of Status.--
            (1) In general.--The benefits provided under subsection (a) 
        shall apply to any alien who--
                    (A)(i) is a national of Liberia; and
                    (ii) has been continuously present in the United 
                States during the period beginning on November 20, 
                2014, and ending on the date on which the alien submits 
                an application under subsection (a); or
                    (B) is the spouse, child, or unmarried son or 
                daughter of an alien described in subparagraph (A).
            (2) Determination of continuous physical presence.--For 
        purposes of establishing the period of continuous physical 
        presence referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), an alien shall 
        not be considered to have failed to maintain continuous 
        physical presence based on 1 or more absences from the United 
        States for 1 or more periods amounting, in the aggregate, to 
        not more than 180 days.
    (c) Stay of Removal.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall promulgate regulations 
        establishing procedures by which an alien who is subject to a 
        final order of deportation, removal, or exclusion, may seek a 
        stay of such order based on the filing of an application under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) During certain proceedings.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), notwithstanding any provision of the Immigration 
                and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), the 
                Secretary may not order an alien to be removed from the 
                United States if the alien--
                            (i) is in exclusion, deportation, or 
                        removal proceedings under any provision of such 
                        Act; and
                            (ii) has submitted an application for 
                        adjustment of status under subsection (a).
                    (B) Exception.--The Secretary may order an alien 
                described in subparagraph (A) to be removed from the 
                United States if the Secretary has made a final 
                determination to deny the application for adjustment of 
                status under subsection (a) of the alien.
            (3) Work authorization.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary may--
                            (i) authorize an alien who has applied for 
                        adjustment of status under subsection (a) to 
                        engage in employment in the United States 
                        during the period in which a determination on 
                        such application is pending; and
                            (ii) provide such alien with an 
                        ``employment authorized'' endorsement or other 
                        appropriate document signifying authorization 
                        of employment.
                    (B) Pending applications.--If an application for 
                adjustment of status under subsection (a) is pending 
                for a period exceeding 180 days and has not been 
                denied, the Secretary shall authorize employment for 
                the applicable alien.
    (d) Record of Permanent Residence.--On the approval of an 
application for adjustment of status under subsection (a) of an alien, 
the Secretary shall establish a record of admission for permanent 
residence for the alien as of the date of the arrival of the alien in 
the United States.
    (e) Availability of Administrative Review.--The Secretary shall 
provide applicants for adjustment of status under subsection (a) with 
the same right to, and procedures for, administrative review as are 
provided to--
            (1) applicants for adjustment of status under section 245 
        of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255); and
            (2) aliens subject to removal proceedings under section 240 
        of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a).
    (f) Limitation on Judicial Review.--A determination by the 
Secretary with respect to the adjustment of status of any alien under 
this section is final and shall not be subject to review by any court.
    (g) No Offset in Number of Visas Available.--The Secretary of State 
shall not be required to reduce the number of immigrant visas 
authorized to be issued under any provision of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) to offset the adjustment of 
status of an alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent 
residence pursuant to this section.
    (h) Application of Immigration and Nationality Act Provisions.--
            (1) Savings provision.--Nothing in this Act may be 
        construed to repeal, amend, alter, modify, effect, or restrict 
        the powers, duties, function, or authority of the Secretary in 
        the administration and enforcement of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) or any other law 
        relating to immigration, nationality, or naturalization.
            (2) Effect of eligibility for adjustment of status.--The 
        eligibility of an alien to be lawfully admitted for permanent 
        residence under this section shall not preclude the alien from 
        seeking any status under any other provision of law for which 
        the alien may otherwise be eligible.
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