Refugee Congress Delegates Express Deep Concern Over Continued Attacks on TPS

December 1, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last week, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the Department of Homeland Security ended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti and Burma.

We are outraged and devastated to see these continued attacks on fellow forcibly displaced people. As refugee and asylee leaders, we know firsthand what a lifeline humanitarian immigration programs are.

Though the Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that conditions on the ground in Burma and Haiti are safe enough for TPS-holders to return, and that their continued presence in our country is “contrary to the national interest,” we wholeheartedly reject both of these claims. We cannot overstate how dangerous it would be to force Haitian and Burmese TPS-holders to return to the countries they fled. 

Immigrant Americans of all backgrounds and statuses contribute so much to the fabric of our nation and to our local communities. We revitalize economies, share our cultural riches, and look out for our neighbors. To trade in falsehoods and fearmongering about our Burmese and Haitian neighbors who add immense value to our communities is shameful.

It is painfully clear that the termination of TPS for Haiti and Burma – like the termination of TPS for Venezuela and South Sudan, and the attempted termination of TPS for Syria – is rooted in xenophobia rather than fact. 

Refugee Congress will continue working to safeguard humanitarian protections for all forcibly displaced people. We condemn these deeply harmful attempts to further a political agenda that intentionally harms our Black, brown, and Muslim neighbors, and we urge all elected leaders of conscience to take immediate action to uphold our humanitarian commitments to people seeking safety.

Media Contact:

Jen Lee Reeves media@refugeecongress.org

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