Temporary protected status for El Salvador: Far from temporary

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration program designed to assist foreign nations during short-term crises. Following two devastating earthquakes in El Salvador in 2001, the United States designated that country for TPS and provided undocumented Salvadoran immigrants in the U.S. with employment authorization and protection from deportation. Since 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has repeatedly extended that grant and the accompanying benefits. El Salvador's current designation expires on September 9, 2010, unless DHS chooses to renew it. This thesis explores the political, economic and moral repercussions of extending Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status and proposes improvements to the TPS program.The United States and El Salvador have a long-standing relationship based on political and economic interdependence. An examination of Salvadoran-U.S. relations and the economic statistics regarding remittances from immigrants in the United States to El Salvador favors the renewal of the TPS designation. Terminating the grant would jeopardize regional cooperation and political stability, negatively impact trade between the U.S. and El Salvador, and spark the collapse of the Salvadoran national economy.Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries have resided in the United States for a minimum of nine years. Extending the Temporary Protected Status grant is morally justifiable given these immigrants' solid and lengthy ties to the U.S. However, there is concern that the TPS program has been applied to El Salvador as a long-term immigration solution, rather than a response to temporary country conditions. DHS data also reveals that Temporary Protected Status designations have been issued arbitrarily. Numerous deserving countries like Haiti and Guatemala did not receive TPS in the 2000s. The subjective implementation of the program is contrary to legislative intent and humanitarian objectives.TPS regulations are flawed and require modifications to ensure that the program is applied equitably using impartial criteria. A temporary immigration status should not be issued for long-term country conditions, and Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries merit a permanent immigration solution. Accordingly, TPS provisions ought to be amended to restore credibility and objectivity to the regulations, and registrants from El Salvador should be allowed to become lawful permanent residents.