DHS to Terminate TPS for El Salvador with 18-Month Delay

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At a glance

Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador will be terminated effective September 9, 2019. Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries will be required to re-register to extend their benefits through the expiration date. 

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The situation

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has determined that conditions in El Salvador no longer warrant continued Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for that country’s citizens. According to DHS Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen, El Salvador has made adequate progress in recovering from the series of earthquakes in 2001 that prompted the country’s initial designation for the program. Secretary Nielsen did not address other conditions, including widespread gang violence, that have affected the country for more than a decade.

A closer look

• TPS will be terminated for El Salvador effective September 9, 2019.

• DHS advises beneficiaries to seek another U.S. immigration status or depart by the expiration date.

• Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries will need to re-register to extend their status and work authorization. DHS is to issue instructions and announce the re-registration period in the near future.

The current state of Temporary Protected Status

The decision to terminate TPS for El Salvador is the latest step in the Trump Administration’s plan to curtail TPS as it currently exists.

In late 2017, DHS announced that it will terminate TPS for Sudan effective November 2, 2018, Nicaragua effective January 5, 2019 and Haiti effective July 22, 2019. TPS for Honduras has been temporarily extended to July 5, 2018 while DHS considers a final decision on redesignation of that country.

DHS has called on Congress to “enact a permanent solution for this inherently temporary program.”

Looking ahead

The termination of TPS for El Salvador means that beneficiaries will lose work authorization and the ability to remain in the United States unless they are able to obtain another lawful status by September 9, 2019.

Fragomen will provide an update when DHS announces the TPS re-registration period for Salvadorans. 

 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.