The End of TPS: Policy Options, Social Impacts

The approximately 263,000 Salvadorans who received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) after the 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador constitute the largest group of the total TPS beneficiaries. The Trump administration’s decision in January 2018 not to renew TPS for Salvadorans has important consequences for the United States, El Salvador, and of course for the immigrants themselves and their families. 

To explore the significance of this policy shift and what can be expected moving forward, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), and FUSADES hosted a panel discussion featuring María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila, former Foreign Minister of El Salvador; MPI President Andrew Selee; and Oscar Chacon, Executive Director of Alianza Americas. Panelists considered the social impact of terminating TPS for Salvadorans in the United States, including the likely effects on the economy, migration, and criminal violence, as well as policy options to address the fallout from the decision.