Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador began in March 2001 after two devastating earthquakes in that country. At that time, the Bush administration designated that protection because the natural disaster displaced more than 16% of the population. Successive administrations from both political parties renewed the designation repeatedly for more than two decades, allowing between 170,000 and 200,000 Salvadorans to live and work legally in the United States.
However, with the new immigration policies of the Donald Trump administration, it was announced that beginning September 9 of this year, all of these people would be left without protection. This is the longest-running program of its kind in United States history.
This cancellation follows the Supreme Court ruling on June 25 in the case “Mullin v. Doe,” which cleared the way for the administration to proceed with the measure. Nearly 90 percent of Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries work and contribute more than 5 billion dollars annually to the U.S. economy; in addition, approximately 150,000 are U.S.-citizen children who have a parent covered by this program.
“Salvadorans have made significant contributions to our communities. They are our neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of them face the risk of becoming the next targets to feed the deportation machine of this administration. Trump and Miller are intent on stripping as many people as possible of their legal status and sowing chaos and fear across the country,” Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, a nonprofit organization, said in a statement.
The case of El Salvador is only the latest piece to fall within the largest effort to revoke legal status in modern history. Haiti’s TPS expired on August 5, leaving 350,000 people without legal status, and the human cost is already being felt.
“Every week, stories of disrupted lives, lost jobs, separated families, and an administration that refuses to change course emerge. Poll after poll shows that the American people reject the agenda of mass deportations. Congress must take responsibility and hold this administration accountable,” added Cárdenas.
