In Their Own Words: Q&A with Syrian TPS Plaintiff, Dahlia Doe
In Their Own Words Q&A with:
Dahlia Doe, Syrian TPS Plaintiff
Interview requests for Dahlia Doe may be directed to media@nomuslimbanever.com
Knowing the toll it can take on you and your family, what motivated you to take the extraordinary step of suing the Trump administration for terminating your Temporary Protected Status (TPS)?
I took this step because I felt like I had no other choice. When you have lived your entire adult life in one place, studied here, worked here, and built a community here, being told that it can all disappear pushes you to a breaking point. This is the only home I know as an adult, and losing TPS would undo everything I have worked so hard to build. I did this because I want a fair chance at stability, and because someone has to speak up and say that what is happening to us is simply not right.
2. When did you come to the United States and why did you seek Temporary Protected Status?
I came to the United States over ten years ago to study and to build a future I knew I could not create anywhere else. My entire adult life has been shaped here. My education, my career, and the community I rely on are all in the United States.
When my student visa was ending, I knew I was not ready to leave. I was thriving here, and I felt there was more to my journey than just four years of school. Seeking Temporary Protected Status gave me the opportunity to continue building the life I had started and stay on a path where I could grow, contribute, and feel safe.
3. If you lose your Temporary Protected Status, what will you do? How will it impact you, your family, and your community in [City, State where they live]?
If I lose TPS, I honestly do not know what I would do. There is no real plan B for me. I would still have to wake up every day, go to work, and try to live normally while knowing that everything could collapse without warning. Without TPS, I would lose protection from deportation and detention, and I would have to live with constant fear and uncertainty.
I am the only TPS holder in my family. Everyone else is either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident, which means losing my status would separate me from the people I love the most. My family would be terrified for me, and I would be left facing an uncertain future completely alone. I’m preparing for what could happen to my parents and how we will manage their affairs if I am deported. My community would also lose someone who has spent years working, contributing, and showing up. Losing TPS does not only threaten my immigration status. It threatens the entire life I have built over more than a decade, piece by piece, with so much effort and hope.
UPDATE: On November 19, 2024, the court halted the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria while the legal case against it is ongoing. As a result, Dalia and over 6,100 Syrian TPS holders for now are able to hold onto TPS status, related work authorization and protections against immigration confinement and deportation that otherwise would have lapsed as of 12:00am on November 22.
Today’s ruling is a win against the government’s broader racist and anti-immigrant agenda to eliminate access to TPS for countless other non-white immigrant communities who are part of this country’s fabric," said Sadaf Hasan, Staff Attorney at Muslim Advocates. "While the halt provides impacted TPS holders a brief exhale, our work continues to ensure their rights and the rule of law are upheld