The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump extended work permits on Friday, July 10, for hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the United States who hold Temporary Protected Status, including Syrians, as their existing authorizations neared expiration.
Hours before the permits were due to expire, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, said that work permits for TPS holders from Syria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, and Myanmar were set to expire within a week, according to Reuters.
According to the latest official data available from the Congressional Research Service, about 3,860 Syrians in the United States were covered by TPS as of March 2025.
Human rights advocates and community members expressed concern that a Supreme Court ruling could deprive hundreds of thousands of people of work permits and protection from deportation.
Labor unions had urged the authorities to extend the work permits. They repeatedly warned that failing to renew the permits could cause “widespread chaos in workplaces” and disrupt key economic sectors that rely on these workers.
Trump has pursued a strict policy aimed at restricting immigration and expanding deportations. Human rights organizations have widely denounced the policy, describing it as a violation of freedom of expression and due process rights.
The Trump administration has also made immigration procedures more difficult by imposing new and costly fees on applicants for certain visas and scrutinizing the social media accounts of applicants and immigrants already living in the country.
Trump says his measures are intended to improve domestic security and protect employment opportunities for U.S. citizens.
Earlier in June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing the Trump administration to proceed with ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, reinforcing the administration’s efforts to tighten immigration policies.
U.S. federal law grants TPS to people from countries affected by wars, natural disasters, or extraordinary conditions that prevent their safe return. The program had been renewed periodically in previous years.
US Urges TPS Holders to Obtain Legal Status or Leave
In a related development, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin called on immigrants living in the United States under TPS to apply for permanent residency if they are eligible or prepare to leave the country.
“Either complete the process of obtaining permanent legal status, or we will help you return to your countries,” the U.S. official said.
Mullin added that the government would provide people wishing to return with a plane ticket and about $2,100 in financial assistance to help them reestablish themselves in their countries. He stressed that TPS is not intended to provide permanent residency.
The United States has granted TPS to Syrians since 2012 because of the war in Syria.
Despite the administration’s efforts to end temporary protection for some groups, the U.S. State Department continues to warn citizens against traveling to Syria because of the ongoing risks of violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.
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