The Biden administration is granting temporary deportation relief and work permits to Myanmar citizens living in the United States because of the military's crackdown following the Feb. 1 coup, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday.

The decision means about 1,600 Burmese already in the United States, including diplomats who have broken with Myanmar's junta, will be eligible for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months, two administration officials told Reuters.

The program grants immigrants who cannot return to their countries safely, for reasons such as natural disasters or armed conflict, the ability to stay and work in the United States legally for a defined period that can be renewed.