The Trump administration is set to revoke deportation protections for immigrants from Burma starting in January, citing what they describe as “significant progress” in the ongoing strife within the Southeast Asian nation.
This announcement, made on Monday, follows the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to allow over 3,600 Burmese immigrants to enter the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. Last year, these individuals were given protection due to what were deemed “unusual and temporary circumstances” that made returning to Burma unsafe.
“This decision temporarily reinstates TPS,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem noted in her statement.
“We are ending Temporary Protected Status because the situation in Burma has improved enough for Burmese nationals to safely return,” Noem added. She mentioned various improvements in governance and stability, including the lifting of the state of emergency, plans for fair elections, successful ceasefire agreements, and enhancements in local governance that benefit public services and foster national reconciliation.
Since the military coup in 2021 that ousted the previous government, Burma (Myanmar) has been caught up in a civil war.
Reports indicate over 5,000 civilians have died and about 3.3 million have been displaced because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.
The TPS program has been offering humanitarian aid to those from disaster-stricken and war-affected areas since the 1990s, granting temporary legal status and work permits to immigrants in the U.S.
The Trump administration has taken steps to reverse several extensions of TPS from the Biden era, affecting nationals from Somalia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti.
The withdrawal of TPS protections for Burmese nationals is scheduled to occur on January 26, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security has stated that Noem, following consultations with the State Department, concluded Burma no longer qualifies for TPS. They indicated that the overall situation in the country has improved to the point where it’s safe for Burmese nationals to return. Furthermore, they asserted that allowing them to remain temporarily in the U.S. would not align with the national interests of the United States.
