The Trump Administration is continuing its trend of revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from certain immigrant groups by announcing El Salvadorian immigrants are next on the agenda. El Salvadorians were first given TPS after two earthquakes caused widespread devastation in their home country back in 2001, severely crippling the infrastructure and government control. Nicaraguans and Haitians have lost TPS, which protects illegal immigrants from immediate deportation and permits them to work in the country, due to the administration’s actions already.
This most recent TPS revocation decision has already sparked more controversy than the previous two due to the sheer amount of El Salvadorians it impacts. It is estimated that nearly 200,000 people will be forced to leave the United States due to this decision. Certain employers and state representatives are not happy about the decision, either. Many of the immigrants targeted by the TPS removal are employed and paying taxes like a United States citizen.
Arguments have been propped up from the Trump Administration for the widespread removal of TPS. It has namely cited the permanence of TPS, with many El Salvadorians enjoying the “temporary” shelter from deportation and detention since 2001. Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also pointed out that El Salvador had recovered greatly, if not completely, from the earthquakes that began the country’s inclusion in the program. Assuming that the approximated 200,000 El Salvadorians do leave the country, they will represent twice the amount of immigrants still protected by TPS remaining in the United States. El Salvador attempted to present a counterargument in 2016, citing droughts, poverty, and unchecked criminal gangs as valid reasons to allow people to leave the country until it was safe again.
If you would like to know more about this ongoing story about immigration law changes, you can click here to view a full article from The New York Times – a subscription or log-in information may be required. El Salvadorians living in Texas under Temporary Protection Status can come to Mathur Law Offices and speak to one of our Dallas immigration attorneys about their legal options to stay within the country. For more than 15 years, we have been helping people just like you follow their American dream by assisting with visa filings, halting deportation attempts, and otherwise providing top-tier immigration law representation.
The clock is ticking now that the Trump Administration has announced El Salvadorians will lose TPS. Contact our law firm by calling 888.867.5191 and requesting an initial consultation.