More than 6,000 Syrians in the United States are bracing for an uncertain future as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminates their Temporary Protected Status (TPS), effective Friday. The decision, announced in September, will strip these individuals of their legal right to reside and work in the country, leaving them vulnerable to detention and deportation. Among those affected is Dahlia Doe*, a Syrian national who has lived in the US for a decade. Dahlia, who arrived as a student from a Middle Eastern country where she lacked citizenship, now faces the stark choice of deportation to Syria—a country she has never lived in—or fighting to remain in the US, where she has built a life with family and friends. She is one of seven plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the termination of TPS for Syrians, which was heard in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on Monday. The judge is expected to rule before the policy takes effect on Friday. TPS, established in 2012 following the outbreak of civil war in Syria, provides temporary legal status to nationals from countries deemed unsafe due to conflict or natural disasters. However, it does not offer a pathway to permanent residency. In a September press release, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the decision, stating that conditions in Syria no longer prevent nationals from returning home. She described the move as ‘restoring sanity to America’s immigration system.’ Critics, however, argue that Syria remains unstable, with cities in ruins and ongoing armed conflict. Farrah Alkhorfan, co-founder of Immigrants Act Now, warned that ending TPS for Syrians would endanger their lives. The termination of TPS is part of a broader effort by the current administration to revoke the status for nationals from several countries, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. For Dahlia and others like her, the decision has brought immense stress and uncertainty. She now struggles to sleep, worrying about her future and the care of her parents, who are permanent US residents. ‘You have to attempt to live a normal life while going through a devastating instability, not knowing what might happen tomorrow,’ she said. The lawsuit, represented by Muslim Advocates, the International Refugee Assistance Project, and Van Der Hout LLP, seeks to halt the termination of TPS for Syrians, arguing that it is inhumane and unjust. As the clock ticks down, the affected individuals and their communities await the court’s decision, hoping for a reprieve from the looming threat of deportation.
‘Devastated’: Previously protected Syrians in US face upheaval as legal protections lift
