A U.S. federal court in Manhattan has barred the Department of Homeland Security from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 6,100 Syrian nationals while litigation proceeds. Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled that DHS likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to weigh current country conditions and by allowing political considerations to influence its decision.
Syrians have benefited from TPS since 2012, when the civil war rendered safe return impossible. The Trump administration moved this year to end protections for multiple nationalities, arguing that long-running designations exceeded the program’s intent. Friday’s ruling echoes earlier injunctions covering Haiti and Honduras and signals judicial skepticism toward wholesale TPS rollbacks.
![Judge Blocks Trump Administration From Ending TPS for Syrians]()
For employers, the injunction means Syrian TPS holders—and their automatic Employment Authorization Documents—remain work-authorized while the case wends through the courts. HR teams should update I-9 reverification ticklers to reflect the automatic 180-day EAD extension triggered by the court order. Companies with Middle-East projects may also see reduced assignment-cost volatility, as Syrian engineers and IT professionals can continue in U.S. roles without emergency H-1B filings.
The administration is expected to appeal, but observers note that TPS litigation often drags on for years, effectively extending protection cycles. Mobility leaders should therefore plan for continued employment eligibility while advising affected employees to keep personal addresses current with USCIS to receive future re-registration notices.
The ruling re-opens the policy debate over whether Congress should create a permanent humanitarian pathway for long-term TPS holders, many of whom have built families and careers in the United States. Until then, corporate immigration programs must navigate a patchwork of court-ordered reprieves and shifting re-registration windows.
Syrians have benefited from TPS since 2012, when the civil war rendered safe return impossible. The Trump administration moved this year to end protections for multiple nationalities, arguing that long-running designations exceeded the program’s intent. Friday’s ruling echoes earlier injunctions covering Haiti and Honduras and signals judicial skepticism toward wholesale TPS rollbacks.
For employers, the injunction means Syrian TPS holders—and their automatic Employment Authorization Documents—remain work-authorized while the case wends through the courts. HR teams should update I-9 reverification ticklers to reflect the automatic 180-day EAD extension triggered by the court order. Companies with Middle-East projects may also see reduced assignment-cost volatility, as Syrian engineers and IT professionals can continue in U.S. roles without emergency H-1B filings.
The administration is expected to appeal, but observers note that TPS litigation often drags on for years, effectively extending protection cycles. Mobility leaders should therefore plan for continued employment eligibility while advising affected employees to keep personal addresses current with USCIS to receive future re-registration notices.
The ruling re-opens the policy debate over whether Congress should create a permanent humanitarian pathway for long-term TPS holders, many of whom have built families and careers in the United States. Until then, corporate immigration programs must navigate a patchwork of court-ordered reprieves and shifting re-registration windows.
