The Biden administration extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 200,000 Salvadorans living in the U.S. for an additional 18 months.
The Department of Homeland Security cited environmental conditions in El Salvador as the reason for the extension, preventing the individuals from safely returning to their country.
Driving the news: Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is designed to prevent deportations to countries facing natural disasters or civil strife, allowing individuals to work in increments of up to 18 months.
The big picture: Biden has significantly expanded TPS coverage, protecting about 1 million individuals from 17 countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Sudan, Lebanon and El Salvador.
- Salvadorans, being one of the largest beneficiaries of TPS since 2001 due to earthquakes, saw their TPS status extended until September 9, 2026, as it was set to expire in March 2025.
- While individuals under TPS have legal authorization to stay in the country, it does not provide a direct path to citizenship, and their status needs to be renewed by the government.
Go deeper: The extension for Salvadorans was based on geological and weather-related events that continued to impact areas affected by earthquakes in 2001, such as significant storms and heavy rainfall in 2023 and 2024.
- The extension of TPS for Salvadorans highlights the economic impact of remittances they send back home, which amounts to about $7.5 billion annually and supports the economy of El Salvador.
