TPS Uncertainty Remains for El Salvadoran Workers Living in the U.S.

This post has been updated.

The Trump administration’s expiration date of Sept. 9 for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador has been effectively continued, affecting roughly 200,000 Salvadoran TPS holders in the U.S. and further straining the construction industry’s labor shortage.

The Department of Homeland Security has stated “An announcement on El Salvador’s TPS will be made at the appropriate time. Until such announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection including work authorization.” While this provides temporary relief, it falls short of formally extending the TPS designation.

Congress established TPS in 1990 to allow nationals of designated countries to live temporarily in the U.S. when armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions make returning home unsafe.

TPS recipients with work authorization have helped reduce the construction industry’s persistent labor shortage. Foreign-born workers now account for more than one-third of the residential construction trades.

Many Salvadoran TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for more than 25 years and work in essential sectors with ongoing labor shortages, including construction, transportation and food services.

The Trump administration has ended TPS for 12 countries, affecting more than 1 million people. Three designations — Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine — remain but are scheduled to expire later this year.

NAHB recommends that members consult an attorney with any questions about how this decision affects their business.