They are not satisfied with the extension of the program, Central Americans already want to get out of immigration limbo
CARECEN Salvadoran activist Evelyn Hernández.
Photo:
María Peña / Impremedia
The announcement made by the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele about an agreement reached with the United States government to extend the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to Salvadorans for a year, did not make a large number of the beneficiaries of That country.
Evelyn Hernández, a Salvadoran benefiting from the TPS, said the extension was achieved after having serious conversations between the National Alliance and President Bukele since in her immigration agenda she did not contemplate anything for the TPSians.
“He was asked for his intervention so that as president and businessman he spoke with the US authorities,” he says.
However, he adds that the decision to extend the TPS is a half satisfaction since they do not seek temporary status but gain time to push legislation that gives them permanent residence.
"We have more than 20 years with the TPS, we have paid taxes, we have our families. We are not interested in having the program renewed every 18 months because we continue in the same immigration limbo ”, Explain.
They also bet on the Ramos vs. Nielsen lawsuit, filed by TPS beneficiaries and their children in response to Trump's termination of the program.
The extension for a year has left them in a state of confusion. “It is not known if it starts from September 9 when the program is over; or on January 2 when the extension period given by the judges expires.
From El Salvador, there are 205,000 protected with the TPS; 30,000 from Honduras and less than 10,000 from Nicaragua.
Abdulio Funes goes for the 50-year-old, of which 25 has lived in the United States.
“Personally, this expansion is a hope to continue fighting. We need time to be approved by a law that gives us residence, ”says Abdulio, who makes a living as a maintenance worker in an asylum for sick older adults.
Residence in the United States is his dream. “I have left more than half of my life in this country, working, contributing. I consider myself a fairly honest person, ”he says.
And he urges TPS beneficiaries to join the fight for residence because he believes that only united can win.
"What has happened should not make us stick," he says.
Lorena and Orlando Zepeda's couple have had TPS since 2001 after they escaped from El Salvador because of the tremors.
"We have two children born here, aged 15 and 17," he says.
Orlando liked the extension, but agrees that they will fight for permanent residence.
“This announcement gives us a pause to continue the fight in Washington because the HR6 is passed, legislation that would give us permanent residence to the beneficiaries of the TPS of 13 countries not only Salvadorans,” he emphasizes.
