Cancellation of TPS Threatens Salvadorans

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People are protesting against the Trump Administration’s order to terminate TPS.

Lendsy Barriga, Staff Writer

Since the Trump Administration announced that it will discontinue the provisional residency permits of approximately 200,000 Salvadorans, many people have now begun to protest against President Trump and are willing to support Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans living in the U.S.

Former President George W. Bush had previously granted the Salvadorans TPS when he was in office because of the devastating earthquake that hit El Salvador in 2001. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bush both extended their status, while the Trump Administration plans to end it along with other immigration issues such as DACA. Unlike DACA, the cancellation of TPS will just force Salvadorans to stop working, however it won’t deport them back to their country.

While TPS is still a valid status for the Salvadorans, it provides several economic benefits to the country. According to The Washington Post, 80% of Salvadorans with TPS work at very high rates and participate in the labor force. With this status, they are able to pay their taxes, which is an advantage for the U.S. Many people believe that Trump’s order is most likely to have the opposite effect and will negatively impact the country. Without this legal status, it is harder for them to search for jobs, but it’s not impossible. Although they can be working illegally, illegal employment does pay less than legal employment.

With Trump’s decision to cancel TPS, it’s possible that it will increase illegal immigration in the north as well as labor force. It might force Salvadorans to head north illegally, especially because the majority of them send money to their relatives in their country which contributes to the gross domestic product of the U.S. It is decided that the U.S. will extend TPS until September 2019, but meanwhile Salvadorans will have to submit a permission form to stay in the country legally, whether it’s becoming a U.S. citizen or requesting for the green card.