White House Decision to End TPS for El Salvador Punishes Community Members for Lack of Options to Permanent Status, Says LatinoJustice PRLDEF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE
September 9, 2026
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TPS Designation Scheduled to End for El Salvador Punishes Community Members for Lack of Options to Permanent Status, Says LatinoJustice PRLDEF
New York, NY – The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for people from El Salvador is scheduled to terminate today, according to previous announcements by the Department of Homeland Security. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet made an official announcement on the termination.
People from El Salvador were the first group to be granted Temporary Protected Status in 1990, when Congress first created this designation to protect migrants escaping the Central American country's decades-long civil war. TPS was again granted for Salvadorans after a 2001 earthquake made returning to the country unsafe.
DHS has stated that until an official announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection. Under Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act states that if the government does not make an announcement 60 days before the expiration date, the benefit is automatically extended.
The following statement can be attributed to Rex Chen, Supervising Counsel of Immigrant Rights, LatinoJustice PRLDEF:
“The more than 170,000 Salvadorans who have been living and working legally in the US for decades, and their families, deserve better than having their lives torn apart by this administration's ability to exploit the 'temporary' part of their Temporary Protected Status.
"Ending TPS from people who followed the rules and were granted lawful status is a troubling pattern of stripping legal protections against people who legally obtained this right. These families, and millions of others whose Temporary Protected Status is under threat, have long deserved a pathway to permanent legal status. Congress' neglect over more than three decades to close this loop is now uprooting families with multiple generations in the US.
"We call on the federal government to reverse this decision and on Congress to establish a permanent pathway to citizenship for longtime TPS holders. We also urge TPS holders to closely monitor announcements from the federal government around the program. LatinoJustice will continue working alongside our immigrant communities to protect the rights of TPS holders, challenge harmful immigration policies."
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About LatinoJustice
For over five decades, LatinoJustice PRLDEF has used and challenged laws to create a more just and equitable society. We transform harmful systems, empower our communities, fight for racial justice, and grow the next generation of líderes. To learn more, visit www.LatinoJustice.org