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Kennedy Joined by 11 House Democratic Colleagues in Letter Demanding Trump Change Course on Revoking Temporary Protected Status for Burma

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) led fellow Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State urging the Trump administration to reverse its recent decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Burma. 

In the letter, Kennedy outlines the dire and worsening humanitarian conditions in Burma, where the military junta continues to commit widespread abuses, block humanitarian aid, and destabilize communities through violence, forced displacement, and political oppression. The administration’s decision threatens more than 4,000 Burmese nationals living legally in the United States – people who contribute to local economies, raise families, and call communities like Western New York home.

Kennedy emphasized that ending TPS for Burma will have real, immediate consequences for families across the country.

“Western New Yorkers know firsthand that our community is stronger when we protect families who are fleeing violence and working hard to build their lives here,” said Congressman Kennedy. “Stripping TPS from our Burmese neighbors sends them back to danger and tears apart the communities they’ve strengthened, the workplaces they sustain, and the local economies they help grow. This heartless decision is wrong on the facts, wrong for our national interests, and deeply wrong for the innocent families who will be forced back into harm’s way.”

Kennedy’s letter details ongoing violence, civilian displacement, restrictions on humanitarian relief, and major natural disasters that have exacerbated instability in Burma. Citing reports from the United Nations and U.S. Department of State, the letter underscores that conditions remain far too dangerous for individuals to return safely, despite the administration’s claims that the situation may soon improve. For Western New York’s vibrant Burmese community, Kennedy noted that TPS has enabled families to fully participate in the local workforce, open small businesses, support their children in school, and contribute to the region’s long-term growth. Ending these protections would threaten not only their safety, but also the stability and economic vitality of neighborhoods across Buffalo and the greater area.

The letter calls on the administration to reverse its decision immediately and redesignate TPS for Burma in light of clear, ongoing humanitarian need.

Full text of the letter can be found below: 

The Honorable Kristi Noem  

U.S. Department of Homeland Security  

2707 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, S.E.  

Washington, D.C. 20528  

The Honorable Marco Rubio

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20520

Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio, 

We write to express deep concern regarding this administration’s recent termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Burma. Currently, it is estimated that over 4,000 Burmese citizens reside in the U.S. with TPS, relying on this legal designation as a lifeline to support their families, contribute to the economy, and avoid return to a country plagued by civil unrest, violence, corruption, and instability. Accordingly, we urge the administration to immediately reverse its decision to end TPS for Burma and instead redesignate status for the thousands of Burmese nationals currently living and working in the U.S. lawfully. 

As you know, in February 2021, a military junta in Burma seized power from a democratically elected government, thrusting the country into a civil war, political upheaval, and dire humanitarian conditions. Four years later, ethnic groups and pro-democracy coalitions continue to clash with the junta in efforts to fight back against military rule, and as such, the conditions in Burma continue to deteriorate. As recently as last month, a United Nations independent council that investigates crimes in Burma warned that “the frequency and severity of international crimes” continues to escalate. This includes abuses during military detention, attacks on hospitals, places of worship, and schools, and civilian starvation as a result of continued conflict. Additionally, a 2024 report by the U.S. Department of State concluded similar findings of abuses, including disappearances, unlawful killings, forced labor, and illegal recruitment of children, among others. 

Further compounding an already devastating humanitarian crisis, earthquakes hit central Burma in March of this year, leaving roughly 200,000 people homeless. Following the natural disaster, military forces reportedly blocked humanitarian aid, threatened relief workers, and capitalized on the already delicate situation to conduct civilian airstrikes, leaving more than half of western Rakhine state families unable to meet basic needs. In addition to an estimated 21.5 million Burmese citizens in need of humanitarian assistance such as food, shelter, sanitation, and water, the United Nations projects that 3.5 million individuals are internally displaced.

Since 1990, the law has allowed foreign nationals from countries with severe civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters to remain in the country legally under TPS. Just weeks after the military takeover in February 2021, the federal government designated TPS for Burma and renewed the status for individuals in the U.S. twice thereafter due to worsening conditions in the country.^[1] This lifesaving designation has allowed an estimated 4,000 Burmese individuals to remain in the U.S. safely and lawfully, protected from forced return to a country wrought with life-threatening conditions. 

As evidenced above, this humanitarian crisis has not changed despite the administration’s cancellation of TPS, making Burma unsafe for return. As a result, 4,000 Burmese nationals living in the U.S. and covered by TPS will face deportation on January 26, 2026, back to a country that they likely will no longer recognize, and where they will have little to no quality of life. Further, this administration’s justification for TPS cancellation is purely based on speculation that conditions in the country may improve. In its recent decision, DHS cited the end of a state of emergency, a “timeline” for elections, and a “credible” ceasefire agreement as promises for Burma’s future, with a total disregard for the current devastating humanitarian conditions on the ground.^[2]

In communities across the U.S., Burmese nationals with TPS contribute to their local economies, start businesses, and raise families, working towards a future they could not currently sustain safely in their home country. From Western New York to Indianapolis, regions with thriving Burmese communities risk being upended should this administration continue with its cancellation of TPS. Accordingly, we urge the Trump administration to immediately reverse the cancellation of TPS for Burmese nationals and redesignate status in line with continued conflict and humanitarian devastation in Burma.

Sincerely,

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^[1] Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Mayorkas Designates Burma for Temporary Protected Status. March 21, 2021. https://www.dhs.gov/archive/news/2021/03/12/secretary-mayorkas-designates-burma-temporary-protected-status

^[2]  Federal Register, CIS No. 2839-25. “Termination of Designation of Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected Status.” Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. November 24, 2025.