The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a federal court’s decision ordering the Department of Homeland Security to delay its planned termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria which is still engulfed in nearly 14 years of civil war, displacement, and humanitarian catastrophe.
SEE: US judge blocks termination of temporary legal status for Syrians
The judge issued a verbal ruling postponing the administration’s attempt to strip legal status and work authorization from more than 6,100 Syrian TPS holders and applicants. Without this urgent intervention, Syrians with long-standing roots in the United States would have lost their status as early as Friday, November 21.
“This ruling is a critical step toward protecting thousands of Syrian families who have built lives, careers, and communities in the United States,” said Robert S. McCaw, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director. “The government’s attempt to forcibly return people to an active warzone defies both law and basic human decency. Syrians deserve safety, stability, and due process, not politically motivated attacks on their legal status.”
McCaw added: “CAIR stands with our partners fighting this case, and we urge the government to end its harmful, discriminatory campaign against TPS holders. The U.S. has a moral and legal obligation to protect people who cannot safely return to countries experiencing extreme conflict.”
Last month, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Muslim Advocates, and Van Der Hout LLP filed suit challenging the administration’s unlawful effort to terminate TPS for Syria. Although the Assad regime fell in late 2024, Syria continues to face record-level humanitarian needs, with more than 16 million people dependent on aid and millions displaced or living in devastated communities. Health systems, schools, water access, and essential infrastructure remain critically degraded, making safe return impossible for the vast majority of Syrians.
In September, CAIR urged the extension of TPS for Syria, citing the ongoing armed conflict, lack of safe return conditions, and the life-threatening consequences of forcing Syrians back prematurely.
CAIR also applauds the leadership of IRAP, Muslim Advocates, Van Der Hout LLP, and community advocates who moved swiftly to stop the imminent harm facing TPS holders.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com