Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated Myanmar’s TPS after an interagency review, with the change taking effect 60 days after publication on Jan. 26, 2026.
- DHS and USCIS estimate 3,969 current beneficiaries will lose protection, with 236 additional applications still pending as of Nov. 10.
- The department cited what it called improved governance, the lifting of a national state of emergency, planned elections, ceasefire agreements, and better local administration, and it labeled continued presence in the U.S. contrary to the national interest.
- Human Rights Watch and other observers dispute DHS’s assessment, calling the planned elections a sham and pointing to continued violence and repression documented by the U.N. and the State Department.
- Legal battles are expected after recent mixed court outcomes on other TPS terminations, while work authorization and protections for Myanmar TPS holders continue through the 60‑day transition window, drawing concern from diaspora communities such as Minnesota’s Karen population.