Supreme Court Case on Temporary Status Catches the Attention of Immigrants
The future of Haitians and Syrians residing in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is being closely monitored by immigrants from over a dozen different countries. This is particularly true for the approximately 200,000 people from El Salvador who have lived in the U.S. for a quarter of a century under TPS.
TPS permits individuals already in the U.S. to remain and work legally in the country for up to 18 months at a time, given that their homeland is deemed unsafe for return by the Homeland Security secretary. However, during the previous administration, the TPS program was concluded for all 12 countries up for renewal.
Upcoming court arguments will focus on whether the administration properly considered the conditions in Haiti and Syria when it ended TPS and if it discriminated against non-white immigrants. The decisions affected about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.
Making the U.S. Home on Temporary Status
Despite living in the U.S. under temporary status, many such immigrants have established permanent lives here. José Urías, a Salvadoran under TPS, is one such example. Having started a family and a successful business in Boston that has constructed over 150 homes, Urías remains hopeful.
"It's not guaranteed, but it's not impossible either," he shared from his home.
Most Salvadorans with TPS have been living and working legally in the U.S. since at least 2001, when two major earthquakes resulting in special status struck their home country. The majority of them have children born in the U.S.
Many, however, have lost their jobs and live in fear of being detained, separated from their American family members, and deported to a country they barely know.
"It's like living out your American Dream, and then suddenly — just like that — being told your time is up, as if to say, 'We don’t need you anymore,’ and having someone try to cut away everything you’ve built," Urías lamented.
Understanding TPS
In 1990, Congress established TPS to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife. When the previous administration took office, Venezuelans formed the largest group of beneficiaries, followed by Haitians and Salvadorans.
However, TPS was ended for about 1 million people from countries including Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan.
The ending of TPS could prove to be an economic blow for countries like El Salvador, which received $9.9 billion in remittances from Salvadorans in the U.S. last year, accounting for 24% of the country's gross domestic product.
Family with No Permanent Legal Status
Lorena Zepeda, a 58-year-old Salvadoran under TPS, recounts her journey after crossing the Mexican border in 1991. After a series of jobs, she now works as an organizer at one of the largest immigrant-rights organizations in the U.S.
Zepeda has been sending money to her siblings in El Salvador for over three decades. Despite her family members all having permanent status in the U.S., she is the only one without it. She is still in the process of obtaining permanent residency, but the process has been delayed because her asylum application was denied and she has a deportation order from 1999.
If TPS ends, she would be the only one in her family at risk of deportation. She said that none of her children want to move to El Salvador.
"I feel quite sad," Zepeda admitted. "Sadly, we know that I am not protected, but I have faith in God."