The determination that ended Temporary Protected Status for Syrian nationals in the United States on 27 July 2026 rested on a finding, published in the Federal Register, that Syria “no longer meets the criteria for an ongoing armed conflict.” Take that finding at its strongest and assume it is correct. It still cannot carry the weight placed upon it, because the collapse of the Assad government in December 2024 is being asked to answer two questions that international law deliberately keeps apart. The first is whether an armed conflict has ended. The second is whether an authority now exists that is capable of protecting those who fled. One event answers the first by definition, and the second not at all.