Arakan News Agency
The Trump administration announced on Monday that it will end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for nearly 4,000 immigrants from Myanmar, a country that has been experiencing a civil war for several years, leaving these individuals vulnerable to arrest and deportation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in an official notice, signed by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, that ending the TPS program for Myanmar is justified due to “improvements” in governance and stability, stating that continuing the program conflicts with U.S. national interests. The notice cited concerns regarding proper vetting of immigrants, the potential risk of overstaying visas, and noted that some TPS holders from Myanmar were subject to national security or immigration fraud investigations.
This decision comes as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to curb humanitarian immigration programs, which it claims have been exploited by bad actors and extended for too long despite the intended temporary nature of TPS. The administration also argued that the program encourages illegal immigration.
TPS was created in 1990 to provide temporary work permits and protection from deportation to immigrants from countries facing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other emergencies that make their return unsafe. The program was significantly expanded under former President Joe Biden.
Since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, the country has experienced armed conflicts and political instability. Armed militias have clashed with the military, which has a long history of persecuting minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims.
The United Nations reported that the Myanmar military had killed approximately 6,500 civilians as of March 2025, and the violence has displaced more than 3.5 million people. U.S. government statistics indicate that 3,969 people are currently enrolled in Myanmar’s TPS program, which is set to expire in late January unless a court intervenes.
