Temporary protected status for nearly 232,000 Salvadoran immigrants in the United States remains in force while the Department of Homeland Security decides whether to extend or end the designation.
The protection was due to expire on Wednesday, 9 September, but DHS has said Salvadoran nationals covered by TPS will retain their status until the department makes a formal announcement.
The uncertainty has left families who have lived in the US for decades waiting to find out whether they can continue working and living lawfully in the country.
Congresswoman Luz Rivas, who represents California’s 29th District, said the lack of clarity was fuelling anxiety among Salvadoran communities, with some families concerned they could be separated.
“We need to believe that there’s hope for the Salvadoran community. I know lots of families are worried whether they’re going to be torn apart,” Ms Rivas said.
Under the rules governing TPS, the designation can be extended for six, 12 or 18 months at a time. If DHS does not take action by the relevant deadline, the protection is automatically extended for a further six months, according to the information provided by the department.
The current designation was extended for 18 months from 10 March 2025 to 9 September 2026. The Federal Register notice said the decision was based on continuing environmental conditions in El Salvador, including the effects of severe storms and heavy rainfall in areas still affected by the 2001 earthquakes.
Many Salvadoran TPS holders have spent most of their adult lives in the United States. They have raised children, established careers and built homes while relying on a status that was intended to provide temporary protection.
Dr Jocelyn Duarte, head of the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund in Los Angeles, said the community’s contribution to the US economy had not been properly recognised.
“They’re not being given the recognition of the contributions that they have made for decades to this country,” Dr Duarte said.
She argued that TPS holders paid taxes, worked in the US and contributed through the fees required when they re-registered for the programme. She also said remittances sent to El Salvador helped reduce pressure on people to migrate irregularly.
Push for a permanent legal pathway
Ms Rivas said she was backing legislation that would create a route to legal status for people who have held TPS for years, rather than leaving them dependent on repeated temporary extensions.
“I’m the co-sponsor of a bill that would provide a pathway to legal status for TPS holders, and that’s what I think we need,” she said.
El Salvador was first granted TPS in 1990 for people fleeing the country’s civil war. The designation was renewed after two major earthquakes in 2001 and has since been extended repeatedly.
The Trump administration has moved to end TPS protections for nationals of several countries. The Supreme Court’s ruling in June made it more difficult for courts to review decisions cancelling a country’s designation.
For now, however, the Salvadoran programme remains in place. DHS has not given a date for its decision, saying only that an announcement will be made at the appropriate time.
Advocates are urging families to prepare for the possibility that the protection could eventually be withdrawn, while lawmakers continue to press for a permanent solution for Salvadoran TPS holders.
