Temporary Protected Status for about 200,000 immigrants from El Salvador remains in effect after a deadline passed without any public announcement from the Department of Homeland Security.
The program was scheduled to expire Wednesday. But in a statement, DHS said it would make an announcement on El Salvador “at the appropriate time” and that protections would remain in place until then.
The lack of action means TPS recipients still have legal status — and work authorization — but their lives remain in limbo.
The Legal Limbo
Under immigration law, temporary status is automatically extended for six months if the government takes no action. That is what happened in May, when protections were automatically extended for about 11,000 Lebanese.
But attorneys cautioned that the administration could still take action without making a public statement or announcing a decision in the near future. The silence has sent advocates and attorneys scrambling to explain what might happen next.
“I feel numb … the physical and emotional damage of the last month, it’s so frustrating that it feels like we suffered that all for nothing,” TPS recipient Daysi Gonzalez said in an Instagram post.
The Context
TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife. It was granted to El Salvador following two devastating 2001 earthquakes.
Just before leaving office, President Joe Biden extended it for El Salvador for 18 months to September 9, 2026.
In Trump’s second term, Homeland Security has ended TPS for more than 1 million people from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and Syria. The Supreme Court ruled in June that the administration acted within its authority to end TPS for about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.
Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar,” who has advocated for ending TPS, said Tuesday the decision rests with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Temporary protected status means temporary,” Homan said. “Let’s face it, El Salvador is a much safer country than it’s ever been now with a new president up there.”
El Salvador’s Unique Position
El Salvador has become one of the safest countries in the Americas since Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele ordered mass arrests in 2022. Bukele has been an ally of Trump’s mass deportation policy and was one of the first countries to receive deportees, holding them in a mega prison known as CECOT.
The two men have met twice in Washington since last April. In 2019, during the first Trump administration, Bukele asked Trump to extend TPS. Bukele has not said publicly if he has requested another extension.
Salvadorans in the U.S. sent $9.9 billion in remittances to El Salvador last year, representing 24% of the country’s GDP.
The Economic Impact
Salvadoran TPS holders contribute an estimated $5.4 billion to the U.S. economy each year as part of the workforce, paying about $1.5 billion in federal and state taxes, according to immigrant advocacy group fwd.us. Over the last 25 years, they have given birth to approximately 150,000 American children.
In the Washington, D.C. region alone, there are more than 32,000 Salvadoran TPS holders — the largest concentration in the country. They contribute about $965 million annually to the local economy.
The Legislative Push
Groups like the National TPS Alliance are advocating for Congress to step in. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) introduced the El Salvador TPS Act of 2026 on September 3. The bill would require DHS to designate El Salvador for TPS through March 9, 2028. It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
“We’re not just talking about numbers,” said Ama Frimpong of We Are CASA. “We’re talking about people who have lived in this country, some of these individuals, for 25 years.”
The Bottom Line
TPS for 200,000 Salvadorans remains in effect after a deadline passed without a DHS decision. The program was set to expire September 9, but DHS says protections will remain until an announcement is made. The lack of action gives recipients a temporary reprieve, but their long-term future remains uncertain. El Salvador’s status as a Trump ally and its improved security situation may play a role in the final decision. Congress is considering legislation to extend protections through 2028.
