WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has given about 6,000 Syrian nationals living in the United States a 60-day deadline to leave the country after announcing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which had allowed them to remain in the U.S. since 2012, last Friday.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement that the decision came “after a careful review of conditions in Syria”, stressing that the program “is temporary in nature” and that circumstances “no longer prevent Syrians from returning home.”

Syria no longer constitutes a danger preventing its citizens from returning. — Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained that the termination of TPS for Syrians had been under consideration since President Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, saying that current conditions in the country no longer meet the criteria for the program.

McLaughlin added that Syria “was a hub for terrorism and extremism for nearly two decades” and that continued protection for Syrians “conflicts with U.S. national interests.”

Under the new order, Syrians covered by the program have until November 21 to leave the country. They may use the CBP Home app to report their voluntary departure and receive a free airline ticket and a $1,000 cash stipend, while retaining the option to apply for legal immigration in the future.

Those who fail to depart will face arrest, deportation and a permanent ban from returning to the U.S. — Department of Homeland Security statement

TPS was established in 1990 to provide temporary protection to foreign nationals from countries facing conflicts or disasters, granting them the right to live and work legally in the U.S., though it does not provide a direct path to permanent residency. Syria’s TPS designation had been extended multiple times over the past decade due to the ongoing war, including during Trump’s first term, before being officially terminated last week.

With Syrians now excluded, TPS currently applies to nationals of the following countries: Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Venezuela, El Salvador, Haiti and Ukraine.

According to the latest estimates, about 1,770 Syrians live in Michigan under TPS. The total number of current beneficiaries across all nationalities is around 4,000 people.