The Trump administration says it's extending Syria's Temporary Protected Status for 18 months. This means about 7,000 Syrians can continue to stay and work in the U.S. legally.
The Department of Homeland Security made the announcement Thursday. Syria's TPS was set to expire on Sept. 30. The extension allows migrants the ability to re-register their status and stay through March 31, 2021.
The Department of Homeland Security grants the status to immigrants who enter the U.S. legally and come from countries with war, an environmental disaster or other "extraordinary and temporary conditions."
The U.S. granted Syria the status in 2012 because of its ongoing civil war.
The administration has ended TPS for six countries, including El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, claiming the conditions in those countries don't fall under TPS designation. But it hasn't been able to terminate the status because of ongoing legal challenges.
