Approximately 170,000 Salvadorans are at risk of losing their Trans-Personnel Protection (TPP) status after living and working in the United States for more than 25 years, amid a crackdown on immigration.
On September 9, 2026, at 4:30 PM, Bloomberg News reported that the Trump administration is proceeding with a large-scale deportation policy for immigrants. Approximately 170,000 Salvadorans who have lived and worked in the United States for at least 25 years are becoming the latest group to be affected after their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) expires on Wednesday.
This group of Salvadorans had been legally residing and working in the United States under the TPS (Transit-Provided Passenger Protection) scheme since March 2544 and were among the longest-serving TPS recipients in the US before losing their protection.
The end of this status has left many with a choice between returning to El Salvador, a country some are barely familiar with after living in the United States for decades, or continuing to stay in the US without legal status.
One of those affected is Jose Urias, who traveled from El Salvador to the United States as a teenager three decades ago and built a new life in Long Island, New York. He runs a real estate development business, having built approximately 150 homes and apartments, and created jobs for dozens of workers.
Urius said that after building a future, a family, and a business, everything can be lost in the blink of an eye, even if he fulfills societal expectations—learning the language, adapting to the culture, being a part of the community, and contributing to the economy.
The Salvadoran community plays a significant role in Long Island's economy, comprising the largest overseas-born population in the Nassau and Suffolk regions. Many work in construction, services, logistics, and healthcare, while some own businesses within these industries.
However, the effects of the crackdown on immigrants are beginning to show. Many businesses report declining sales this year after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a series of arrest operations.
Oscar Guevara, owner of Top Quality Custom Builders, a construction company near Hempstead, revealed that the company's workforce has dropped from 32 last year to just 5, after 7 workers were deported and other employees gradually left their jobs.
Guevara said that although businesses were less stressed, revenue had decreased as well.
Trump administration officials have maintained that TPS was designed as a temporary measure from the outset and that the program was being used by some immigrants who might not normally be eligible to reside in the United States.
The government stated that the situations that had previously warranted protection—such as natural disasters in El Salvador and Haiti, the conflict in Afghanistan, or political unrest in Venezuela—have now eased, and migrants can safely return to their countries of origin.
Federal officials arrested more than 50,000 immigrants in July and August, with the government justifying the crackdown as aimed at protecting American jobs and public safety.
For Salvadorans, Trump has previously referred to the MS-13 gang in support of stricter immigration law enforcement.
The policy to end TPS (Transit-Based Pressure) doesn't only affect Salvadorans. Previously, the US Supreme Court paved the way for the Trump administration to end TPS for approximately 350,000 Haitians. Last year, TPS expired for 55,000 Hondurans, 300,000 Venezuelans, and 8,000 Afghans.
In addition, approximately 300,000 Venezuelans face the risk of losing their protected status this year, as do groups from Ukraine and Sudan.
Many Salvadorans migrated to the United States during or shortly after the 12-year civil war, which ended in 2535. The U.S. later placed El Salvador under the TPS (Transit-Protected Pandemic) scheme following the 2544 earthquake and aftershocks that killed nearly 1,000 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage.
Coverage is limited to Salvadoran citizens who have been in the United States since or before February 13, 2544, and although several U.S. administrations have renewed the TPS (Transit-Policy Permit) multiple times, travelers entering the country after that date are not eligible.
Some TPS holders live in the US longer than they do in their home country, such as Urius and his wife, whose two children, born in the US and aged 13 and 20, spent a combined total of less than a month in El Salvador.
Data from the National TPS Alliance, an immigrant rights advocacy group, indicates that there are approximately 152,000 Salvadorans employed under the TPS system in the United States. It is estimated that TPS holders collectively generate approximately $5.4 billion annually in economic value for the U.S. and pay around $1.5 billion in local, state, and federal taxes annually.
Carlos Castro, a grocery store owner and Salvadoran immigrant in Virginia, warned that forcing members of the long-standing community to leave the United States could disrupt the local economy.
Castro, who owns two Todos Neighborhood Markets, as well as insurance and real estate businesses, states that it currently employs many TPS holders, and at one point, TPS holders accounted for approximately 15% of its total workforce of 200 people.
He stated that businesses had already lost some workers due to license revocations under the Trump administration's immigration policies and warned that the end of the Salvadoran TPS would exacerbate the labor shortage.
It remains unclear what circumstances those who lost their TPS will face in the coming weeks, but the cases in Haiti demonstrate that law enforcement may become stricter.
Immigration officials have begun fitting electronic ankle bracelets on some Haitian TPS (Third Party Permit) holders during routine reporting and have increased deportation flights. Meanwhile, the Minister of Homeland Security warned those without legal status to leave the country voluntarily, otherwise they face arrest and deportation.
Jessica Bansal, an attorney handling the TPS (Transcript of Practice) case, stated that legally, the government should have allowed Salvadorans to continue working for another two months after September 9th, but in practice, many employers tend to terminate employees immediately.
The National TPS Alliance and some Democratic members of Congress are urging the Trump administration to extend protections for Salvadorans, hoping that the good relationship between Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele might help delay the implementation of the measure.
El Salvador relies heavily on remittances from migrant workers abroad. According to World Bank data compiled by Bloomberg, by 2568, remittances from the United States to El Salvador are expected to amount to approximately $1 billion, representing 27.5% of the country's GDP.
For TPS holders who have built businesses and families in the U.S. for decades, the end of their coverage could mean abandoning the lives they've built entirely.
Oscar Montalvan, owner of a Long Island residential fencing company who immigrated to the U.S. at age 17, said that if forced to leave the country, he would have to sell his business. Approximately 10 of his 60 employees also hold TPS (Tourism Private Placement) licenses and could lose their jobs as well.
"My hands were tied. I couldn't do anything," Montalvan said.
Reference: bloomberg.com
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