Chicago resident in risk of deportation after Supreme Court allows Trump to strip Syrians of legal protection

Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune on Jun 26, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

CHICAGO — Quite simply, Hatem describes the last 10 months as “hell.”

The Syrian citizen has temporary protected status, a legal protection from deportation that was put in jeopardy in September 2025 after the Trump administration moved to strip the status from Syrians. Although the courts postponed the program’s termination, he was fired from his sales job in October due to the uncertainty, and has been unemployed since. He has been rejected from job applications and Ph.D. programs.

“It’s been very scary and it’s been very segregating,” said Hatem, who asked to withhold his last name for fear of retribution. ”I can’t get a job, and I can’t even get benefits.”

Now, Hatem is faced with deportation to Syria, a country in which he has never even set foot, after the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision Thursday allowing President Donald Trump to end temporary protection status for immigrants from Syria and Haiti. Without TPS, they lose protection from deportation and work authorization.

Individuals who hold the status come from unstable countries facing civil war, an epidemic, a natural disaster or other conditions that would make it unsafe. The program protects nearly 1.3 million people from 17 countries designated for TPS by the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigrant reports estimate that approximately 330,700 Haitians with TPS are living in the United States, along with 3,800 to 6,000 Syrians with TPS.

Hatem was born in Kuwait to Syrian parents, but moved to Chicago in 2018 on a student visa to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the Art Institute of Chicago. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in film from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, while he was pursuing his education, he was unable to return to Kuwait and lost his residency there. Because Kuwait has no birthright citizenship, the only place Hatem could go outside of the United States is Syria.

Hatem said he has no support system in Syria and limited job prospects as a filmmaker. He fears for his safety and his future.

“Especially in my field, in the film industry, it would be very hard to move … to Syria because right now, we’re seeing a government that is not very progressive,” Hatem said. “I also come from a Syrian minority that has been targeted lately. That has been very fearful.”

Despite the high court’s decision Thursday, some Illinois lawmakers are continuing to fight for TPS visa holders to stay. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez is among the representatives in support of the Dream and Promise Act, which would create U.S. citizenship pathways for DACA Dreamers and TPS holders. The long-shot bill, backed by a majority of Democrats, was introduced to the House of Representatives on Feb. 26.

“Trump and Miller seek to deny immigrants safety, even if they have lived here for decades, even if America is the place they call home, and even if their lives depend on asylum,” Ramirez said.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, both Democrats, each reflected on their family histories following the Thursday decision.

“My family were refugees to this country, and would have been killed if we hadn’t been allowed to enter this country, so I think we ought to be thinking about — strongly about — changing our immigration laws to protect people who need protection,” Pritzker said.

The Trump administration is “taking people’s rights away” and “attacking Black and brown people in this country,” Pritzker said.

Still, he acknowledged the state’s power to fight back on some issues, including immigration enforcement, is limited.

Raoul, who is of Haitian descent, said of some of Trump’s previous comments about Haitian immigrants: “If that is not overtly racist, then I don’t know what is.”

“If there’s ever a time and conditions that should allow for temporary protected status and asylum — there’s nothing as clear as this. And there’s nothing as clear as this to define racism,” he said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted about the Supreme Court decision on X, calling it “harmful” and “dangerous.”

“TPS has long provided safety and stability for people fleeing crisis and violence, allowing them to build their lives here legally and contribute to our communities. This ruling puts TPS holders at risk of deportation and endangers the lives and futures of countless asylum seekers,” Johnson said. “Chicago stands with the families affected by this ruling.”

With no current 90-day grace period for individuals who lost their TPS status and only limited information is available from U.S. Immigration Services, Hatem’s future remains uncertain.

“We’re truly people who are here for our own safety. We pay taxes, we do our part and we don’t get any benefits from the government,” Hatem said. “We just want safety. We have nowhere to go back to.”

____