Trump Ends Protected Status for Salvadorans
According to the New York Times, the Trump administration has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of El Salvador. The order from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will remove an estimated 268,000 Salvadorans from the United States, many of whom have been in the US for nearly two decades. The humanitarian order for Salvadoran TPS followed two devastating earthquakes in 2001, that crippled the country. Now, many families must make arrangements to leave the US in the next 18 months.
Administration and TPS
The announcement to end TPS for El Salvador follows a series of decisions from the Trump administration that aim to reduce the of number of non-citizen workers in the US. Late last year, DHS announced the end of TPS programs for Haitian and Nicaraguan citizens. With TPS, foreign citizens who are eligible may apply for employment authorization documents (EAD). Therefore, hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans have been working legally in the US for over a decade. The current administration’s policy changes will subject over 400,000 immigrants for deportation.
Opponents of TPS claim that the program is now a “quasi-permanent” structure that no longer gives “temporary” protections to immigrants in crisis. Therefore, opponents believe that TPS beneficiaries are abusing the system and hurting the economy. However, Salvadorans have been working and paying taxes for nearly two decades, and many workers fear that El Salvador lacks the infrastructure for a safe return of its citizens. According to Dallas News, there are an estimate 36,300 TPS recipients in the state of Texas that have been contributing to the economy and employers in the state. Some Salvadorans must now leave jobs they have held for twelve years to an uncertain return home. Although TPS is short term in nature, the announcement will greatly hurt companies who legally employ beneficiaries of TPS.
For Employers
In recent months, the Trump administration has openly opposed immigration programs like TPS. The DHS has not announced other plans to end other TPS program, however it is imperative that employers of TPS workers carefully follow announcements from the DHS. As of this month, seven other countries are under Temporary Protected Status. However, employers of Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, or Haitian beneficiaries must make arrangements with their employees before the official end of TPS.