News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 10, 2026
MEDIA CONTACTS
IRAP | Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
Muslim Advocates | Sadaf Hasan | sadaf@muslimadvocates.org
REACTION TO TERMINATION OF TPS FOR SYRIA: “MY WHOLE LIFE IS BEING DESTROYED IN FRONT OF MY EYES.”
While court case continues, thousands of Syrian community members have effectively lost their work authorization and may be vulnerable to detention and deportation
(New York, NY) — On July 27, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court formally entered its judgment in Mullin v. Dahlia Doe and officially ended the Syria TPS program by reversing the district court’s decision to temporarily pause the program. On July 31, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to the district court, where the case will continue to be litigated and the district court will hear new arguments challenging the termination of TPS for Syria. The government has taken the position that TPS for Syrian nationals officially ended on July 27, meaning over six thousand Syrian community members have lost their ability to live and work legally in the United States and may be subject to detention and deportation to danger.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Muslim Advocates, and Van Der Hout LLP sued the Trump administration for unlawfully terminating TPS on behalf of a putative class of Syrian TPS holders and applicants who have lived in the United States for years. On July 24, Syrian TPS holders filed an amended complaint challenging the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s authority to issue the TPS termination in the first place, as well as detailing how the termination of TPS for Syria violated their procedural due process and Equal Protection Clause rights under the Constitution.
The Supreme Court’s decision opened the door for the Trump Administration to strip TPS status from more than 1.3 million people in what would be the largest de-documentation campaign in U.S. history. But the fight continues in district courts, not only for Syrian and Haitian community members, but for all other TPS holders this administration has targeted as part of its discriminatory mass deportation and detention agenda.
“This is like an execution order to me,” said Mohamed, a Syrian TPS holder. “After 14 years being in this country, I studied and built a life and worked as a health care provider and now it is all gone. The Supreme Court has allowed this administration to try to separate me from my family and my elderly mother who I care for. This decision targets vulnerable people who fled a civil war. Syria was not safe and is still not safe. I feel like my whole life is being destroyed in front of my eyes.”
IRAP has drafted legal resources for TPS holders from all impacted countries to understand their options, as well as about what Congress can do today to protect this vital community.
“The callousness and confusion surrounding the government’s push to end TPS as soon as possible should concern us all,” said Lupe Aguirre, Deputy Director of U.S. Litigation at IRAP. “What does it mean for TPS to end? Thousands of families are being pushed into the margins and forced to live in fear of detention and deportation back to the dangers they once fled. Doctors, nurses, educators, and other essential workers are losing their jobs and will no longer be able to provide lifesaving care and critical services to communities across this country. Our litigation efforts extended TPS for Syrians for critical additional months from the original termination date, and we are not backing down now. We are pursuing new legal arguments and remain committed to protecting the TPS community. But even with these efforts, now is the moment for Congress to step up and extend TPS protections before even more damage is done.”
“The Trump administration’s racist termination of TPS for thousands of deeply rooted Syrian community members is cruel and unlawful,” said Sadaf Hasan, Staff Attorney at Muslim Advocates. “This legal limbo comes at a profound human cost: sleepless nights, the constant fear of ICE detention, and the uncertainty of how to support loved ones while facing removal to a country many have never lived. Syria is not an isolated case. Again and again, the government has singled out predominantly Black, Brown, and Muslim immigrant communities for especially harsh treatment, driven by the same discriminatory animus that has defined so much of this administration’s immigration agenda. We believe these actions are unconstitutional, and we will continue fighting in court alongside community organizers and policy advocates until justice is served.”
“A majority of the Supreme Court got it wrong, and now productive members of our community are left without legal status in a country they have called home for years,” said Johnny Sinodis, partner at Van Der Hout LLP. “But the struggle is not over. Our clients now return to district court with the same hope, drive, and determination that they had when this litigation began. We look forward to vindicating their rights in court, and we call on Congress to pass meaningful legislation to protect Syrians and all other TPS holders who have been targeted by this administration.”
“The termination of TPS for Syria is a heartbreaking moment for thousands of Syrian families who have spent more than a decade building their lives in the United States,” said Farrah AlKhorfan Co-Founder of Immigrants Act Now, a community group supporting Syrian TPS holders. “The sudden loss of legal protection, work authorization, and the ability to remain lawfully in the country places many families in vulnerable positions, leaving them with uncertainty about what comes next and little time to prepare. As Syria has a long way to recover from years of devastating conflict and still suffers from severe shortages of housing, healthcare, infrastructure, and basic services, we hope affected families will be treated with dignity, compassion, and humanity.”
Background
President Trump campaigned on ending lawful status for hundreds of thousands of TPS holders facing danger in their countries of origin, and his administration has attempted to end TPS for hundreds of thousands of people. The termination of TPS for Syria and Haiti was greenlit by the U.S. Supreme Court in its June 25 decision in Mullin v. Dahlia Doe and Trump v. Miot, when the Supreme Court reversed lower court rulings delaying the terminations and severely limited judicial oversight over TPS decision-making.
In keeping with its hateful rhetoric toward TPS holders and its discriminatory targeting of nonwhite immigrants, the Trump administration has pursued an aggressive campaign to strip TPS holders of lawful status as soon as possible in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. The administration has invested substantial amounts of time and public resources to try and move up termination dates, sometimes by just a few days, for no discernible purpose other than to exacerbate chaos and suffering. As a result of its cruel actions, Burmese, Haitian, South Sudanese, and Yemeni TPS holders recently have also lost their protections, and courts will be ruling on additional cases imminently.
Additional Information
- Resources for TPS holders: HERE
- Learn more about legislative solutions to protect TPS holders: HERE
- Read the amended complaint in Dahlia Doe v. Mullin: HERE
- Read the press release responding to the SCOTUS decision: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
www.refugeerights.org
Muslim Advocates (MA) is a social-justice and legal advocacy organization that works with and for Muslim and other marginalized communities in the U.S. to build community power, dismantle systemic discrimination, and demand shared wellbeing.
https://muslimadvocates.org/
Founded in 1980 by attorney Marc Van Der Hout, the firm of Van Der Hout LLP has grown to become a nationally-recognized, full-service immigration law firm. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, we represent individuals, families, and employers across the country and around the globe in an extensive range of immigration and visa matters.
https://www.vblaw.com/
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