Temporary Protected Status is, as discussed in the posts at the link, largely a misnomer. The latest example of how things that are marked as "temporary" become permanent comes from a new Barack Obama directive involving those from Liberia. This current case involves a different program - Deferred Enforced Departure - and smaller numbers of people, but the concept is the same. (The differences between the two are outlined here.)

From this:

“Pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States, I have determined that it is in the foreign policy interest of the United States to defer for 18 months the removal of any Liberian national, or person without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia, who is present in the United States and who is under a grant of (Deferred Enforced Departure) as of March 31, 2010,” Obama wrote.

“Granting Liberians extended DED status is the right decision," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said in a statement. "The Liberian Community has become an important part of the social fabric of Minnesota — they are our neighbors and our co-workers. While we continue to pursue a permanent solution, it is important that Liberians who are here legally can continue to call Minnesota home.”

Sen. Al Franken praised the action, too. “I’m thrilled that President Obama has responded so positively to our request for a reprieve,” he said. “This is a major victory for those Liberian families who have called Minnesota home for almost two decades.”

The fate of the Liberian refugees has become an almost annual question, though they’ve always been allowed to stay.

Just as we have "truthiness", we need a new word for "temporary" things that are permanent. "Tempermanent"? "Tempoperm"? You decide.

8/27/13 UPDATE: It took a few years, but I corrected a typo in the title, it had been "Libererians".