Help Stop the Deportation of Protected Burma Refugees Residing in America
- Tyler Bradley
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Free Burma Rangers are grateful for the help that Americans give to the people of Burma and stand behind the security of America’s borders, as well as the legal actions to secure them. The Free Burma Rangers appeal on behalf of refugees from Burma who have been granted asylum in America because of the brutal situation in their home country. These are people who love democracy and love our country, but would face imprisonment and death if they remained or were returned to Burma. On Nov. 24, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 4,000 Burmese refugees legally residing within the U.S., effective Jan. 26, 2026. The announcement rationalized the proposed change by stating: “The situation in Burma has improved enough that it is safe for Burmese citizens to return home…” and the “...[Burma military] plans for free and fair elections…”. While we agree with the importance of immigration reform in America, we believe these statements to be in error and that sending 4,000 Burmese TPS refugees back to Burma is a mistake and not in alignment with American values.
The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) have worked to bring help, hope, and love to people in Burma for over 27 years. Today, Rangers are risking their lives throughout Burma to treat patients, bring food and relief to IDPs, encourage shell-shocked villagers, and share the Gospel with the hope-starved people of the longest-running civil war in modern history. We pray, work, and hope every day for a just end to this war, but that end is still far off. According to the Armed Conflict Event Location Database (ACLED), there have been more than 54,000 politically violent events (causing nearly 90,000 reported deaths) in Burma since the 2021 military coup, including more than 10,000 violent events in 2025. These levels of violence have increased more than 1,000 percent compared with the equivalent timespan before the coup. On Nov. 21, a Burma military drone attacked a wedding ceremony in Karen State, killing a 14-year-old and injuring two nine-year-old girls. A few weeks later, on Dec. 10, news outlets around the world reported that the Burma military launched an airstrike against a hospital in Arakan State, killing over 30 people. School buildings stand vacant in Chin State due to the willingness of the Burmese military to target any gathering of people, including schools full of kids. These are just a few examples of the many attacks instigated by the military regime against the people of Burma. If children are not safe from military attacks at weddings, hospitals, and schools, then the country is not safe.
The upcoming political elections in Burma are widely recognized as neither free nor fair. On Sep. 30, U.S. Special Envoy Charles Harder stated in a speech to the U.N. that, “The [Burma military] regime is moving ahead with an election plan that excludes the most popular and representative political parties…We reject these elections under current conditions.” While contradicting the DHS assessment, this certainly reflects accurately what our teams have seen on the ground.
Please join us in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider its move to deport Burmese refugees sheltering in the United States. We urge any American reading this to contact your leaders and ask them to speak up on behalf of Burmese refugees.
Click on the link here to find your state's representatives and their contact information. At the bottom of this message, we have included a sample letter for you to use.
Sending freedom-loving people back into the hands of their oppressors isn’t right and goes against the values upon which the U.S. was founded.
Thank you and God bless you,
The Free Burma Rangers
Here is a sample letter to send to U.S. Representatives