Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has authority over the decision to extend or terminate Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador. White House border advisor Tom Homan stated that the decision on El Salvador's Temporary Protected Status is up to the Homeland Security Secretary.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement criticizing the potential termination of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. She said, "California is home to roughly 55,000 Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries, including thousands here in Los Angeles." Bass said, "Stripping away their legal status and work authorization puts their livelihoods, homes, businesses and futures at risk." She added, "There was no crisis requiring this decision. There was a choice, and the administration chose disruption over stability, fear over certainty and politics over people." Bass said, "The consequences will ripple across Los Angeles and Southern California, including our hospitals, restaurants, construction sites, small businesses and service industries." She concluded, "Congress must act now. People who have lived, worked, raised families and contributed to this country for decades deserve more than temporary protection that can be used as a political bargaining chip. They deserve a permanent path to citizenship."

Why It Matters

The expiration of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador affects a population that contributes to both the U.S. and Salvadoran economies. Holders of this status pay an estimated $1.5 billion in combined taxes annually and sent $9.9 billion in remittances to El Salvador in 2025, which represented 24% of that country's gross domestic product. The decision also impacts more than 150,000 U.S. citizen children who have parents with Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status.

This situation occurs within a broader context of administrative changes to immigration protections. The Trump administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status for more than 1 million people from 13 to 14 countries during President Donald Trump's second term. Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that the Department of Homeland Security acted within its authority to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. The Department of Homeland Security has also terminated designations for Ethiopia and Yemen, with those expirations set for December 12, 2025, and March 3, 2026, respectively.

Timeline

Temporary Protected Status was created by Congress in 1990. Temporary Protected Status was granted to El Salvador in 2001 following two earthquakes. President Joe Biden extended Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador for 18 months, setting the expiration date to September 9, 2026.

President Donald Trump met with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House in April 2025. The State Department upgraded El Salvador’s travel advisory to its highest level in April 2025, citing a drop in violent crimes and murders. Through a notice, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the Secretary of Homeland Security is terminating the designation of Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status, with the designation set to expire on December 12, 2025.

What's New

The Department of Homeland Security stated, "Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary. For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent." Research titled "The Impact of Temporary Protected Status on Immigrants' Labor Market Outcomes" was published in 2015. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, "California is home to roughly 55,000 Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries, including thousands here in Los Angeles." White House border advisor Tom Homan said, "I’m glad they’re finally sticking to what the statute says — temporary means temporary."

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the number of Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders. The Congressional Research Service report states that approximately 170,000 to 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants hold Temporary Protected Status in the United States. National Immigration Forum data states that approximately 32,000 to 32,359 Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders live in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

FWD.us data states that California has approximately 36,000 to 55,000 Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders. The Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador report states that Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders sent $9.9 billion in remittances to El Salvador in 2025, representing 24% of the country's gross domestic product. The FWD.us estimate states that Salvadoran Temporary Protected Status holders pay an estimated $1.5 billion in combined taxes annually. The Department of Homeland Security has not announced whether it will extend or terminate Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador as of September 9, 2026.