The Trump administration has extended temporary protected status for nearly 7,000 Syrians after acknowledging their home country is still a war zone.
The 18-month extension will protect Syrians legally living in the U.S. until the end of September 2019. But there's a catch: It only applies to Syrians who have lived in the U.S. since Aug. 1, 2016.
Syrians who fall under TPS make up a small percentage of the roughly 90,000 Syrians living in the U.S. The Trump administration recently ended TPS designations for Haitians, Salvadorans and Nicaraguans.
The Department of Homeland Security, though, says Syrians still qualify for protection because of the "ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions" back home.
