Jackson Lee: “The Trump Administration’s ill-conceived decision to cancel Temporary Protected Status for El Salvadoran nationals threatens to tear thousands of families apart while undermining efforts to promote a stability in Central America.”

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, issued the following statement about the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for nearly 200,000 El Salvadoran nationals who will now be forced to return home:

“I am deeply troubled over the Administration’s thoughtless and cruel decision to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 200,000 El Salvadoran nationals, including more than 36,000 in Texas, who will now be forced to return home. Although the Administration has granted El Salvadorans another 18 months in the United States, the conditions in El Salvador clearly merit continuing TPS coverage, rather than terminating this essential, life-saving designation.

“El Salvador, a violence-torn Central American nation, suffered catastrophic damage in the 2001 earthquake that launched a humanitarian crisis. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious organizations, ‘El Salvador is in no position to accommodate the return of roughly 200,000 Salvadorans’ because of violence, food insecurity and lasting devastation from natural disasters.

“Furthermore, these immigrants have families, own homes, and fill vital jobs that fuel a critical segment of the American economy. Arbitrarily dislodging them from the nation they have grown to love is irresponsible and runs counter to our American values.

“This wrongful decision underscores the need for Congress to lead by passing bipartisan comprehensive legislation to reform our system of immigration, and provide meaningful relief to El Salvador and all other similarly situated countries. Extending TPS for El Salvador is the smart and humane thing to do because it strengthens the American economy and keeps families together.”