WASHINGTON − Syria was embroiled in a violent civil war when Adham, a Syrian now in his forties, came to the United States in 2018 on an academic scholarship.
After earning his master's degree, Adham − who asked to be identified by that pseudonym because he fears retaliation from the Trump administration − was allowed to stay in the U.S. through a humanitarian relief program for people from dangerous countries.
Since then, Adham has worked as a pharmacist, grateful for having been given “a place to settle and a moment to breathe.”
So he was stunned last September when the Trump administration abruptly ended the Temporary Protected Status program for approximately 6,000 Syrians living in the United States, despite the still perilous conditions in his home country. Adham and his wife, who also works in health care, had 60 days to leave or face potential deportation.
“In a matter of weeks, we were facing the prospect of going from legal residents to people hunted by law enforcement,” he said.
