Syrian-Americans rallied again in Washington last week against the government of President Basal al-Assad. Many of them are worried. Their relatives and loved ones who have been in the U.S on temporary visas will have to go back to Syria once their visas run out. Among those at risk, Nassib Nwelati, a Syrian student here on scholarship to study business: "Many Syrians I know, they have been so worried because not only need to worry about what's going on in Syria and watch the news and cry for these people, but also need to worry about your status because the time is ticking and the clock is ticking. " Now help may be on the way. The Voice of America has learned the Obama administration is about to recommend what is called a temporary protection status for Syrian nationals currently in the U.S. If approved, the move would allow Syrian nationals already in the U.S on tourist, business, student and other such visas to remain in the country until the situation in Syria stables and becomes safer for the nationals to go home. Earlier this month, six democratic senators sent a letter to President Obama, calling on him to quickly designate Syrian nationals for the temporary protection status. They say forcing Syrians to return to their country in the midst of the ongoing violence would undermine U.S leadership and is inconsistently with what they say is America’s traditional role as the safe heaven for those fleeing in the repression. Attorney Abed Ayoub is with the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the U.S. He helped lead a coalition of groups to petition the Department of Homeland Security in January for the temporary protection status. “The humanitarian situation on the ground in Syria is dire. And forcing anybody to return is inhuman. And we can’t put these individuals’ lives in jeopardy. If the U.S State Department feels that the embassy over there is not safe enough for its employees, then it’s sure the country is not safe enough to force nationals to return.” Data from the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration registry say there are about 3 thousand Syrian nationals who would be eligible, although Arab-American activists says that number is much higher. But for visiting Syrians like Nassib, the protection status may literally mean the difference between life and death. 旅美敘利亞人可延長留美時間