Monzer Shakally was 16 years old when he joined the protests in the streets of Damascus, was arrested and tortured by the Syrian government, and, once released, escaped to find safe haven in the U.S.
Temporary Protected Status is a temporary legal status given to immigrants who entered the U.S. legally and remained here continuously so they can stay and work. It is granted by the Department of Homeland Security to recipients from countries plagued by war, environmental disaster or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. It's intended to remain in place until those conditions improve.
Syria was first designated for TPS in March 2012, one year after mass protests swept across the country and were met with a brutal crackdown by President Bashar al Assad's government. The chaos of the resulting civil war has mutated into a proxy battle and counterterrorism campaign, with Turkey, the U.S., Russia, Iran and other regional countries and terror groups like ISIS, al Qaeda and others all involved.
"We're not settled down. We're not able to know what's next," said Odeh, who left Damascus in 2012 after a colleague with whom she tried to provide donations to fellow Syrians displaced by the war was tortured to death. Six years after coming to the U.S., she heard her daughter and son say recently,"'Our lives suck. We don't know what we're doing' ... they are raised in this insanity.