A federal district judge issued an eleventh-hour injunction on November 21 blocking the Department of Homeland Security from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria. The Trump administration had scheduled TPS to expire at 11:59 p.m. the same day, following a September Federal Register notice that asserted Syria no longer met statutory criteria.
The court’s oral ruling—formal written order forthcoming—preserves work authorization for roughly 6,100 Syrian nationals, many of whom work in health care and technology hubs such as Northern Virginia and the San Francisco Bay Area. Employers with Syrian talent were bracing for immediate loss of employment eligibility and potential I-9 compliance headaches.
![Federal Court Halts Termination of Syria TPS Hours Before Deadline]()
For now, work permits and driver’s licenses remain valid while litigation proceeds. Mobility teams should (1) flag Syrian employees in tracking systems, (2) pause any termination or unpaid-leave actions, and (3) watch for USCIS automatic-extension notices similar to those issued in prior TPS lawsuits involving Haiti and El Salvador.
The injunction highlights how volatile humanitarian programs have become: DHS is simultaneously imposing a new $1,000 parole fee and evaluating broader “public charge” standards. Companies employing TPS holders need agile compliance playbooks that account for rapid policy reversals.
The court’s oral ruling—formal written order forthcoming—preserves work authorization for roughly 6,100 Syrian nationals, many of whom work in health care and technology hubs such as Northern Virginia and the San Francisco Bay Area. Employers with Syrian talent were bracing for immediate loss of employment eligibility and potential I-9 compliance headaches.
For now, work permits and driver’s licenses remain valid while litigation proceeds. Mobility teams should (1) flag Syrian employees in tracking systems, (2) pause any termination or unpaid-leave actions, and (3) watch for USCIS automatic-extension notices similar to those issued in prior TPS lawsuits involving Haiti and El Salvador.
The injunction highlights how volatile humanitarian programs have become: DHS is simultaneously imposing a new $1,000 parole fee and evaluating broader “public charge” standards. Companies employing TPS holders need agile compliance playbooks that account for rapid policy reversals.
