NAAP has endorsed the application to extend Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to Syrian Nationals in the United States.
Syrian-American immigration attorney and NAAP-NY Advisory Board member, Nadeen Aljijakli, explains, “We are hearing the horrific stories of what is happening on the ground in Syria on a daily basis and the stories of those who were fortunate enough to escape to the United States. The extension of TPS and redesignation of the qualifying date is a critical step in protecting the lives of thousands of Syrians seeking temporary refuge in the United States.”

If you would like further information about TPS for Syrians and whether you or your family members may qualify, please contact us.

Here is a link to the filing.

Coalition Press Release on April 9th:

Washington, DC – Today, the Coalition for a Democratic Syria in collaboration with the American-Arabic Anti-Discrimination Committee, United for a Free Syria, Syrian American Council, Syrian Expatriates Organization, Syrian American Alliance, Syrian Emergency Task Force, Syrian Americans for Democracy, Syrian Christians for Democracy, Association of Free Syrians, Network of Arab American Professionals, and National Alliance for Syria have formally requested that the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security extend and re-designate Temporary Protective Status for Syrian nationals presently in the United States. In March 2012, ADC and Syrian American organizations, as well as the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) filed an initial request for TPS designation, which was approved by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.

With the current designation expiration date approaching in September 2013, the Syrian-American community requests that Secretary Napolitano extend the applicable period and issue a second designation for Syria with a new effective date and eligibility time-period. “Since March 2011, over 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict, 4 million people are internally displaced inside Syria and over 1. million refugees are in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey. We applaud the initial TPS designation; however, due to the deteriorating situation it is imperative to extend and redesignate TPS and to delay the return of Syrian nationals to a country with escalating and unpredictable violence, destruction, and a devastated economy,” said CDS Board Member Mouaz Mousafa.

Under 8 U.S.C. § 1254a, the Department of Homeland Security may designate any foreign state or part of a foreign state for Temporary Protected Status if there is ongoing armed conflict within the state and, due to the conflict, requiring the return of nationals to that state or part of a state would pose a serious threat to their personal safety. In the context of escalating and “ongoing armed conflict,” and due to the brutality of the regime, requiring nationals to return to Syria “would pose a serious threat to their safety.”