Press Releases

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia and Co-Chair of the Congressional Burma Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation to redesignate Burma for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). On November 25^th, 2025, the Trump Administration terminated the designation of Burma for TPS, concluding that Burma no longer meets the designation criteria. This termination is effective on January 26, 2026.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Burma deeply misconstrues the reality of the situation on the ground,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “The most recent junta-run sham election should be viewed as a rigged farce and nothing more. The United States must recognize that the junta cannot possibly meet the standard of holding a free and fair election while they murder innocent Burmese civilians who disagree with them. Forcing Burmese who have legally taken refuge in the United States to return to an ongoing civil war is antithetical to the purpose of TPS. As Co-chair of the Congressional Burma Caucus, I am proud to champion this legislative effort and call on the Trump Administration to reverse their misguided decision.”

This bill was co-led by Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), Co-Chair of the Congressional Burma Caucus, and Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY).

“Extending TPS for Burmese nationals is a matter of basic humanity and common sense,” said Rep. Ami Bera. “Thousands of individuals who fled violence and repression in Burma are taking refuge in the United States. They are raising families, contributing to our economy, and strengthening our communities. Forcing them to return to a country still gripped by war and instability would put their lives at risk. The United States must continue to stand with the Burmese people and ensure that those taking refuge in our nation can remain until peace and stability returns to Burma.”

“It is inhumane to send people back to Burma as the junta continues to kill people,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks. “Once again, the Administration’s rationale for ending TPS is inconsistent with reality – Burma is not safe. Congress must step in to ensure that we’re not sending men, women, and children back to be faced with imprisonment, torture, and death.”

“The Administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Burmese citizens is a death sentence for those being forced to return to an ongoing armed conflict and genocide,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove. “The United States has a moral obligation to protect people fleeing violence, deprivation, and persecution. That responsibility is precisely why the TPS program was created. I am proud to join Rep. Huizenga in introducing this crucial legislation to reinstate TPS for Burma.”

“Since the end of World War II, the people of Burma have endured escalating humanitarian crises resulting from its ongoing civil war. Hundreds of thousands of Burmese fled their country to find safe haven here in the United States and have since put down roots; starting businesses, raising families, and becoming integral parts of our communities, including in Minnesota’s Fourth District. Ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for these individuals puts them in serious danger – this bipartisan legislation corrects this mistake and redesignates Burma for TPS so that these individuals can remain safely in the United States.” – Congressional Burma Caucus Co-Chair Betty McCollum

“Western New Yorkers know firsthand that our communities are stronger when we support families, especially those who are fleeing violence and working hard to build their lives in America,” said Rep. Tim Kennedy. “Stripping temporary protected status from our Burmese neighbors and sending them back to a wartorn country leaves a void in the communities they’ve strengthened, the workplaces they sustain, and the local economies they help grow, and it betrays our values. I am proud to co-lead this critical legislation to reverse the administration’s decision and do the right thing by redesignating TPS for Burma.”

Background

Temporary Protected Status was originally created by Congress in 1990. Under current law, the Secretary of Homeland Security can designate a country for TPS for certain periods if the country meets one or more of the following conditions, subject to periodic review:

(1) ongoing armed conflict (2) environmental disaster; or  (3) extraordinary and temporary conditions in a foreign state that prevent its nationals from safely returning, unless the Secretary finds that allowing its nationals to temporarily stay in the United States is against the U.S. national interest.

On November 19, 2025, Congressman Huizenga hosted a joint subcommittee hearing titled “No Exit Strategy: Burma’s Endless Crisis and America’s Limited Options,” where Huizenga discussed the horrors on the ground and the junta’s attempts to host a sham election. You can view his remarks here.