Constant Fear for Myanmar Nationals as TPS Ends and Risk Returns

(MYANMAR) The United States 🇺🇸 will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 4,000 people from Myanmar on January 26, 2026, a move that advocates say could force many to choose between living in the shadows in America or returning to a country still torn by conflict and military rule. The Department of Homeland Security announced the termination on November 24, 2025, saying that conditions in Myanmar no longer support keeping the program in place.

DHS rationale and official justification

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision by pointing to what she called “notable progress in governance and stability” in Myanmar.
In the formal notice, she cited the end of the state of emergency, plans for elections, ceasefire agreements, and what she described as improved governance as reasons the country no longer qualifies for TPS.

Her argument rests on the idea that Myanmar has moved far enough away from the crisis conditions that triggered the original designation.

Critics’ response and human-rights concerns

Human rights groups and regional experts strongly reject that view. They say the reality inside Myanmar looks nothing like the picture of stability painted by DHS, and warn that ending TPS now will send people back into danger.

• Critics stress that Myanmar remains an active conflict zone, with ongoing fighting, deep political repression, and a humanitarian crisis that has not eased for many communities.
• They say the military junta continues to hold power and has only attempted cosmetic changes to its image.

Central to their concern is the continued power of the military junta, which on July 31, 2025 adopted a new name, the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC), while keeping the same top leadership and security structures.

• Advocates call this rebranding cosmetic, not evidence of genuine progress.
• They argue that as long as the SSPC controls the country, Myanmar nationals who fled religious persecution, political repression, and extreme violence remain at risk if forced to return.

Warnings from organizations and analysts

Organizations tracking Myanmar say the DHS announcement breaks with years of bipartisan American policy that claimed to support the Myanmar people against military abuses. They argue the decision aligns more with the SSPC’s attempt to present a softer image than with on-the-ground reports from conflict areas.

• According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the termination appears to ignore warnings from rights groups that opponents of the junta, activists, and religious minorities still face arrest, torture, and even death.
• The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) condemned the move, calling it a decision that endangers lives and saying it will push some Myanmar nationals directly back into the reach of the very forces they fled.

APHR and other advocates say people returning after the end of TPS face serious risks, including:

• Imprisonment on political charges
• Renewed religious persecution
• Targeted violence

“The decision endangers lives,” critics warn, arguing returnees could be subject to detention, torture, or worse at the hands of the SSPC.

Human consequences for TPS holders

While the DHS notice focuses on legal standards and country reports, critics focus on human consequences.

Many of the nearly 4,000 Myanmar nationals covered by TPS left after facing threats for protesting, speaking out, or practicing their faith. Others escaped broader violence and instability.

For them, the prospect of deportation is not just about losing work authorization or legal status; it is about what might happen the moment they land back in Myanmar and pass through security controlled by the State Security and Peace Commission.

Advocates in the United States argue the decision could create a wave of quiet desperation among Myanmar nationals who have built lives over several years under TPS protection. Without another form of legal status, they say people will have to either:

1. Leave the U.S. voluntarily, or
2. Risk staying without papers, fearing arrest or deportation at any time.

Human rights lawyers warn this pressure often pushes people into informal work and unsafe living conditions even before any removal takes place.

Policy implications and broader concerns

The move has raised questions about how U.S. authorities assess safety conditions in countries like Myanmar.

• DHS under Secretary Kristi Noem points to formal political steps such as the end of a declared state of emergency and announced plans for elections.
• Rights groups counter that these formal measures mean little if the same generals remain in charge under the SSPC label and if conflict and repression continue in large parts of the country.

Supporters of keeping TPS in place say Washington is sending a mixed message: publicly opposing military crackdowns while ending protection now, which critics say treats Myanmar as if it has already turned a corner despite ongoing abuses and instability.

Policy analysts also warn of ripple effects:

• Ending protection for Myanmar nationals while conflict continues could set a harsher precedent for future TPS reviews.
• It may signal that the bar for “safety” has been lowered even when military rule and serious rights abuses remain.

What affected individuals can do now

Advocates are urging DHS to reverse the decision before the January 26, 2026 deadline takes effect. They argue that U.S. law gives the department wide room to consider ongoing conflict and humanitarian conditions, and that the current situation in Myanmar still clearly meets the standard for TPS.

Until that deadline, Myanmar nationals under TPS technically remain protected from deportation, but the clock is now ticking on their legal stay.

For official information about TPS procedures and timelines, consult the USCIS page on Temporary Protected Status at https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status. However, legal and human rights groups stress that procedural guidance cannot eliminate the fear many Myanmar nationals feel about returning under SSPC control.

Key dates and facts

Final takeaway

As the termination date approaches, the clash between DHS’s claims of “notable progress in governance and stability” and advocates’ warnings of imprisonment, persecution, and death is likely to sharpen.

For the nearly 4,000 people who stand to lose TPS, this policy dispute is not abstract — it will decide whether they must face the power of the SSPC in Myanmar again, or whether the United States 🇺🇸 will reconsider before the deadline forces them into an impossible choice.