US terminates temporarily legal status for Myanmar citizens

DHS estimates around 4,000 Myanmar nationals currently have TPS

The Trump administration is ending temporary legal status for citizens of Myanmar who are in the United States, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a notice on Monday.

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Myanmar was set to expire on Tuesday.

"After reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate US government agencies, the (Homeland Security) secretary determined that Burma no longer continues to meet the conditions for designation for Temporary Protected Status," the notice published in the Federal Register said.

The termination will take effect in 60 days, it added.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates there are nearly 4,000 people from Myanmar currently living in the United States under the TPS designation.

The TPS status for Myanmar had been extended for 18 months from May 26, 2024, until Nov 25 under the administration of Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump, a Republican, has revoked TPS for nationals from a number of countries since taking office in January as part of his immigration crackdown.