Obama Designates Syria for TPS as Civil War Escalates

The Obama administration extended Temporary Protected Status to Syrian nationals on March 29, 2012, as Syria's civil war intensified following the government's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano cited ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions making safe return impossible. The designation initially covered a few thousand Syrian nationals already in the United States and was extended repeatedly; approximately 6,000 Syrians held TPS status when the Trump administration terminated it in 2025.