The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today opposed the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians in America, calling it premature while much of Syria remains devastated and uninhabitable following the destruction left by the former Assad regime.
Entire neighborhoods in Syrian cities still lack electricity, clean water, sewage, and habitable housing. Syrian refugees who have lived in the United States for more than a decade want to return when conditions allow, but many need time to close out their affairs — including schools for their children, jobs, and legal documents – before uprooting their lives.
In addition to these challenges, repeated Israeli military attacks and the presence of armed separatist militias continue to endanger civilian safety and undermine the security needed for displaced Syrians to return.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“Syrian TPS holders have been part of American society for more than a decade, contributing to our economy, raising families, and enriching our communities. It is simply not the time to send them back to a country where entire neighborhoods remain in ruins and basic services like clean water and electricity are still unavailable.
“Many Syrian families want to return when it is possible to do so safely and responsibly. But before that can happen, Syrians in the U.S. must be given time to wrap up their affairs here, and Syria itself must be given time to continue restoring infrastructure and stability in the face of ongoing threats from Israeli attacks and armed militias.
“Ending TPS for Syria on such short notice is unnecessary and reckless. We urge the Trump administration to reverse this order and extend TPS protections until conditions truly allow for safe and sustainable returns.”
CAIR urges all Syrian TPS holders to immediately consult with immigration attorneys about possible legal protections, including asylum or adjustment of status.
SEE: CAIR, CAIR Action Condemn Israeli State Terrorism After Back-to-Back Bombings of Tunisia, Qatar, Lebanon and Syria While Gaza Genocide Rages (September 2025)
SEE: CAIR Condemns Deadly Israeli Attacks on Syria, Reiterates Call for U.S. to Demand Respect For Syrian Sovereignty (July 2025)
SEE: CAIR Condemns ‘Cowardly, Horrific’ Bombing of Syrian Church, Welcomes Syria’s Efforts to Counter Extremism (June 2025)
On September 19, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the termination, giving Syrians just 60 days before facing arrest, deportation, and permanent bars to re-entry. The Federal Register notice confirms the termination will take effect on November 21, 2025, affecting more than 6,000 Syrian nationals who have relied on TPS since 2012.
CAIR described the order as a thinly veiled anti-refugee measure that scapegoats Syrians while ignoring DHS’s own acknowledgment of “security and insurgent flare-ups, particularly involving former regime loyalists, sectarian tensions and other skirmishes.” Secretary Noem herself admitted that “terrorism” threats remain.
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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