Donald Trump has done it again, and activist groups are likely already firing up the legal challenges.
I am speaking of the president's decision to end humanitarian protections put in place by the Biden administration for the benefit of Burmese migrants
Today, Trump revoked those safeguards.
In March 2021, just two months after taking office, then-President Joe Biden offered humanitarian protections for arrivals from Myanmar for a period of 18 months.
Then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated, “Due to the military coup and security forces’ brutal violence against civilians, the people of Burma are suffering a complex and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in many parts of the country.”
At the time, CNN reported, “Conditions in Myanmar prevent Burmese nationals and habitual residents from returning safely, according to DHS. Individuals who can demonstrate continuous residence in the United States as of March 11, 2021, are eligible for the temporary protection and to apply to work lawfully in the US.”
Biden made it a habit of extending the protections he had put in place for migrants from various parts of the world, and Trump has been slowly ending them all.
Very early this morning, reports broke that the Trump administration was removing the safeguards for the Burmese arrivals, saying there was “notable progress” in the war, and they could return to their home country.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “The situation in Burma has improved enough that it is safe for Burmese citizens to return home, so we are terminating the Temporary Protected Status.”
She continued, “Burma has made notable progress in governance and stability, including the end of its state of emergency, plans for free and fair elections, successful ceasefire agreements, and improved local governance contributing to enhanced public service delivery and national reconciliation.”
We fully expect activist groups to fight this order in court, as they have done with similar orders.
This is business as usual for this administration, as it has removed protections for migrants from nine different countries thus far. Trump has also ended asylum status for eight more countries.
Still on the chopping block are Haiti, El Salvador, and Ukraine.
Not only that, but Trump has put a significant reduction on the limit for refugees as compared to the past administration, dropping the number down to 7,500 from 125,000 in 2024.
So far, this administration has had 556 orders challenged in court overall, many of them having to do with Trump’s immigration agenda, so I fully expect this order to get added to that stack.
There are still 257 cases pending, but Trump has had a particularly hard time winning these immigration cases in the lower courts as he continues to draw liberal judges who seem to rule against him the moment they see his name on the paperwork.
