The Trump administration will strip deportation protections of migrants from Burma starting in January, citing “notable progress” made in the war-torn Southeast Asian nation.
The move, announced Monday, comes after the Biden administration allowed more than 3,600 Burmese migrants to enroll in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program in 2021 – and extended their protected status last year, citing the “extraordinary and temporary conditions in Burma that prevent individuals from safely returning.”
“This decision restores TPS to its original status as temporary,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
“The situation in Burma has improved enough that it is safe for Burmese citizens to return home, so we are terminating the Temporary Protected Status,” Noem added. “Burma has made notable progress in governance and stability, including the end of its state of emergency, plans for free and fair elections, successful ceasefire agreements, and improved local governance contributing to enhanced public service delivery and national reconciliation.”
Burma, or Myanmar, has been embroiled in civil war since a military coup overthrew the previous government in 2021.
More than 5,000 civilians have been killed, and some 3.3 million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict, according to the United Nations.
Since the 1990s, the TPS program has granted humanitarian relief to migrants from disaster-plagued and war-ravaged regions.
The federal program allows migrants to enjoy temporary legal status in the US and obtain work permits.
The Trump administration has moved to rescind several Biden-era extensions of TPS, including for citizens of Somalia, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras and Haiti.
The termination of TPS for Burmese nationals will be effective Jan. 26, 2026.
DHS said Noem made the determination that Burma no longer met TPS requirements after a “review of the conditions in Burma and in consultation with the Department of State.”
“The Secretary determined that, overall, country conditions have improved to the point where Burmese citizens can return home in safety,” the department said. “She further determined that permitting Burmese nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.”
