FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrians, giving affected individuals only 60 days to depart or secure another lawful status.
This timeline is alarmingly short. Syrian TPS holders have spent years building stable lives in the United States — working, paying taxes, raising families, and contributing to their communities. Sixty days is not enough time to navigate complex immigration options, relocate households, or prepare for return to a country still experiencing severe instability.
Syria Remains Unsafe and Unprepared for Return
- Destroyed infrastructure and limited basic services: More than one-third of Syria’s schools have been damaged or destroyed since the war began, leaving little capacity to absorb returning children. Hospitals and health centers have also been bombed or looted, leaving large areas without adequate medical services or access to essential treatments. Entire towns such as Aleppo’s outskirts, Idlib countryside, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa, and Homs suburbs — where many TPS holders and refugees originate — remain in ruins with inadequate housing, water, electricity, healthcare facilities, and functioning hospitals.
- Economic collapse under sanctions: Continuing U.S. and international sanctions, while aimed at accountability, have also contributed to a paralyzed economy and stalled reconstruction. Jobs and rebuilding efforts are scarce, and returning families face near-total lack of opportunity to support themselves.
- Ongoing insecurity and military escalation: Israeli airstrikes have repeatedly targeted parts of Syria in the past and remain unpredictable in timing, scope, and location, adding to an already fragile security situation.
Human Impact of a Sudden Departure
A 60-day deadline is devastating for many TPS holders:
- Academic disruption: Schools in the U.S. have already started; Syrian students in U.S. colleges and universities cannot finish the semester or transfer credits in time.
- People with disabilities: Returning would mean losing access to needed medical care and accessible infrastructure.
- Families without homes or relatives in Syria: Many lost all family members or property in the conflict and would face homelessness and danger upon arrival.
These realities make an immediate return unsafe, impractical, and deeply destabilizing.
To Ensure a Humane Transition
Mozaic has supported Syrian refugees and immigrants for years, helping them integrate, work, study, and rebuild their lives. We witness their contributions every day — as taxpayers, researchers, small business owners, caregivers, and community members.
We urge DHS and Congress to:
- Extend the wind-down period well beyond 60 days to allow legal adjustment, planning, and humane relocation if needed.
- Reevaluate current conditions in Syria, including ongoing conflict, destroyed infrastructure, and the severe economic impact of continuing sanctions, which together make sustainable return impossible.
We call on TPS holders to:
- Seek immigration legal advice immediately to explore options.
- Stay connected with community and advocacy networks.
- Document U.S. ties, employment, and contributions to strengthen their cases.
Mozaic stands in solidarity with affected families and remains committed to raising awareness about their challenges and sharing insights from our community experience to inform a humane and practical response.