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Tps Ends for Salvadorans

The US government announced it will revoke "TPS El Salvador" - that is, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans living in the United States, following the fate of formerly protected Nicaraguans, Haitians and Hondurans, who all lost their TPS status' late last year.

According to the federal government, the more than 200,000 Salvadorans who legally reside in the US under the TPS program will have until September 9, 2019, to arrange a different legal status or leave the country.

TPS El Salvador: The History

Many Salvadoran immigrants have been living in the US under the TPS program for more than 20 years. According to the Center for Migration Studies, 88 percent participate in the labor force, compared with 63 percent for the overall United States population; and nearly one-quarter have a mortgage or own a house outright. In addition, many own businesses, are married to US citizens and have American-born children.

These 192,700 American-born children face the separation of their families, due to one or both parents losing their TPS status; or may even have to start a new life in a country that is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.

Salvadoran immigrants originally gained protected status in 1990, when their country was in the midst of a brutal civil war. While it expired two years later, El Salvador returned to the TPS country list following a devastating earthquake in 2001, and has subsequently gained renewed protection since that time due to the heavy gang violence that makes it one of the most dangerous places in the world to live. The capital San Salvador, is considered one of the most deadly cities on earth with more than 15 murders reported daily.

According to the World Bank, the country's economy has also experienced the slowest growth of any Central American country, as the unsafe conditions have inhibited investment and economic stability.

TPS ending for Salvadorans is expected to have a negative effect on El Salvador's already fragile economy. The amount of money sent home by Salvadorans living in the United States accounts for nearly one-fifth of El Salvador's entire economy.

The end of TPS could reduce El Salvador's cash influx by what amounts to more than $4.5 billion dollars in cash, wire transfers or checks sent home to loved ones from Salvadorans residing in the US - an amount that easily dwarfs the $88 million that El Salvador received in aid from the United States in the same period.

Since the Nicaraguans lost their TPS Status last year, Congress has proposed several bills that might open a path to permanent residency for former TPS beneficiaries.

In October, Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a Republican from Florida, introduced the ESPERER Act, which would grant green cards to certain TPS holders who arrived in the United States before 2011. The bill has eight Democratic co-sponsors and four Republican ones.

In November, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, a Democrat from New York, introduced the American Promise Act, which would grant a path to citizenship to immigrants with TPS protection. The bill has 65 co-sponsors, but none are Republican.

Most Salvadorans, uneager to return to El Salvador, are looking to see what other legal immigration status they might be able to obtain here in the US. Those with US citizen spouses, established businesses or grown children who might be able to sponsor them for a green card face the best chances. However with a short deadline, families face stress and tension while they wait to see what happens next.

If you or your loved ones have been affected by the end of a TPS program and you would like help figuring out what your options are, please contact us so we can help you with your unique situation.