Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for families from El Salvador, which will eliminate their legal immigration status and expose them to deportation:
“The more than 250,000 Salvadorans who came to the United States to flee a bloody civil war in the 1980’s and dangerous living conditions following a catastrophic 2001 earthquake have spent their time here rebuilding their lives. They have been working and contributing to our communities for more than two decades. Many have American citizen children who now face the specter of being separated from their parents. Revoking TPS for Salvadorans will not only tear families apart, deportation could expose thousands of them to potentially dangerous and life-threatening situations.
“Today’s decision is a poignant reminder that we have an anti-immigrant president who turns his back on hardworking families and insists on governing by fear and intimidation. This President continues to use immigrants as scapegoats. Congress should not ignore the economic, cultural and social contributions of TPS recipients. I call on my colleagues to find a permanent solution for TPS recipients who are losing their status and pass the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency (SECURE) Act, to provide a path to citizenship for those who have been living, working and contributing to our communities for decades.”
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