New York, NY—Today, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador was set to expire, leaving 17,00 New Yorkers on the pathway to detention and deportation. Under federal law, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is required to publish its decision in the Federal Register at least 60 days before a TPS designation expires as to whether to extend or terminate the designation. If DHS fails to make the determination within that timeframe, the TPS designation is automatically extended for at least six months.
The Trump administration has failed to provide the clarity that Salvadoran TPS holders and their families deserve. Now, more than 170,000 Salvadoran neighbors across the country are facing even more uncertainty about their futures and legal status.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Every family deserves the opportunity to live in safety, contribute to their communities, and build a stable future without the constant fear of deportation. For more than 25 years, Salvadoran TPS holders have built lives, raised families, and strengthened communities across New York. They are our neighbors, our parents, and our coworkers. Yet today, 17,000 Salvadoran New Yorkers are being forced into further legal limbo because the federal government has failed to make a required determination and provide clarity in a timely manner. Instead of providing families with the certainty they deserve, the federal government has remained silent on the status of their legal protections, leaving Salvadoran TPS holders scrambling, wondering if and when they will be separated from their families, their jobs, and the communities they call home. The law is clear, when DHS fails to make a required determination within the statutory timeframe, TPS is automatically extended for at least six months. We demand the federal government abide by the automatic six month extension for TPS holders so that Salvadoran New Yorkers can continue to live and work without fear.”
Context:
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in Mullin v. Doe, siding with the Trump administration and allowing the DHS Secretary to move forward in terminating TPS for Haitian and Syrian nationals. Now, Salvadorian New Yorkers will join the more than 40,000 Haitian New Yorkers who will also lose legal protections that have allowed them to live and work in the United States for years.