Trump Delays Decision on El Salvador Protected Status

By Sarah McAllister Minneapolis, MN · WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Published Updated 3 min read

The Trump administration has not decided whether to extend or revoke Temporary Protected Status for 170,000 Salvadorans past the September 9 deadline.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has not reached a decision on whether to extend or revoke Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from El Salvador more than three weeks after the September 9, 2026 deadline. Approximately 170,000 immigrants from El Salvador are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that an announcement on El Salvador's Temporary Protected Status will be made at the appropriate time and that Salvadoran individuals retain protection including work authorization until such announcement. The Department of Homeland Security had prepared a memo to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans but was stopped by the White House.

Markwayne Mullin is the Secretary of Homeland Security. No specific hearing, meeting, or decision date has been scheduled in connection with the TPS for Salvadorans, as the Trump administration has not made a public announcement regarding its decision, according to reports article published on October 3, 2026.

Salvadorans make up the largest group of remaining Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries. About 1.3 million people from 17 countries had Temporary Protected Status when President Trump returned to office in 2025. President Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitians. President Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for 74,000 people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua.

Lauren Truslow is the chief executive of 3D Enviro, a Virginia company that performs hazardous materials abatement. Truslow stated that her employees' federal badges expired last month, were reinstated until October 9, and that they missed several days of work. She stated that some of her employees were only able to obtain federally noncompliant driver’s licenses, which cannot be used to enter federal facilities. Workers on her government project can seek an approval extension for their badges lasting until March.

A White House official stated that any assertion that Washington D.C. construction projects influenced the decision on El Salvador Temporary Protected Status is false. A White House official stated that no one with Temporary Protected Status is working on the East Wing Modernization construction project. President Trump ordered renovations including a ballroom complex at the White House, a facelift for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, renovations at Lafayette Square, and the application of 23.75 karat gold leaf to four bronze and granite statues. Contracts at sensitive locations such as the White House typically include requirements that workers be U.S. citizens.

The Washington region has the second-largest Salvadoran population in the U.S. after Los Angeles. Mark Krikorian is the head of a prominent anti-immigration think tank in Washington. According to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Salvadorans contribute to the U.S. economy and pay taxes, showing their economic impact.

Why It Matters

The delay affects approximately 170,000 Salvadoran beneficiaries who constitute the largest group of remaining Temporary Protected Status holders. The uncertainty creates logistical challenges for employers and workers in sectors such as construction, where skilled labor shortages could impact ongoing projects.

Internal conflict within the administration is evident as the White House halted a Department of Homeland Security memo prepared to terminate the status. This indecision occurs against a backdrop of previous terminations for other nationalities and a historical pattern of extensions for Salvadorans spanning more than two decades.

Timeline

El Salvador received its first Temporary Protected Status designation in 2001 following a major earthquake. The official record states that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador was set to terminate on September 9, 2026, according to the USCIS update released on September 3, 2026.

What's New

The Trump administration had prepared a memo to terminate TPS for Salvadorans but was halted by the White House, indicating internal conflict over the decision.

Prior administrations extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans over 10 times, according to U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, reflecting a historical pattern of renewal despite political shifts.

fact_check Facts

The Trump administration has not reached a decision on whether to extend or revoke Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from El Salvador more than three weeks after the September 9, 2026 deadline.
Approximately 170,000 immigrants from El Salvador are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status.
Salvadorans make up the largest group of remaining Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries.
Homeland Security spokesperson, Spokesperson
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that an announcement on El Salvador's Temporary Protected Status will be made at the appropriate time and that Salvadoran individuals retain protection including work authorization until such announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security had prepared a memo to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans but was stopped by the White House.
White House official, Official
A White House official stated that any assertion that Washington D.C. construction projects influenced the decision on El Salvador Temporary Protected Status is false.
White House official, Official
A White House official stated that no one with Temporary Protected Status is working on the East Wing Modernization construction project.
Department of Interior spokesperson, Spokesperson
A Department of Interior spokesperson stated that the Department has not had any conversations about Temporary Protected Status or how it relates to construction projects around Washington, D.C.
Lauren Truslow is the chief executive of 3D Enviro, a Virginia company that performs hazardous materials abatement.
Lauren Truslow, Chief Executive
Lauren Truslow stated that her employees' federal badges expired last month, were reinstated until October 9, and that they missed several days of work.
Lauren Truslow, Chief Executive
Lauren Truslow stated that workers on her government project can seek an approval extension for their badges lasting until March.
Arnoldo Diaz is the co-coordinator of the National TPS Alliance.
Arnoldo Diaz, Co-coordinator
Arnoldo Diaz stated that eliminating Temporary Protected Status would be a disaster for construction companies and that Washington, D.C. cannot function without it.
Rebecca Shi is the executive director of the American Business Immigration Coalition.
Rebecca Shi, Executive Director
Rebecca Shi stated that many Salvadorans bring decades of skilled experience to the construction industry as managers and business owners, a skill set that cannot be replaced overnight.
President Nayib Bukele advocated for more time regarding the Temporary Protected Status decision for Salvadorans.
Markwayne Mullin is the Secretary of Homeland Security.

menu_bookBackground & Sources

Context and data our newsroom added to the originating report, with the primary source for each item shown below it.

About 1.3 million people from 17 countries had Temporary Protected Status when President Trump returned to office in 2025.
President Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Haitians.
President Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for 74,000 people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua.
El Salvador received its first Temporary Protected Status designation in 2001 following a major earthquake.
The Washington region has the second-largest Salvadoran population in the U.S., after Los Angeles.
President Trump ordered renovations including a 90,000-square-foot, $600-million ballroom complex at the White House, a facelift for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, renovations at Lafayette Square, and the application of 23.75 karat gold leaf to four bronze and granite statues.
Contracts at sensitive locations such as the White House typically include requirements that workers be U.S. citizens.
The Trump administration had prepared a memo to terminate TPS for Salvadorans but was halted by the White House, according to Politico, indicating internal conflict over the decision.
No specific hearing, meeting, or decision date has been scheduled in connection with the TPS for Salvadorans, as the Trump administration has not made a public announcement regarding its decision, according to the New Yorker article published on October 3, 2026.
Prior administrations extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans over 10 times, according to U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, reflecting a historical pattern of renewal despite political shifts.
The official record states that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador was set to terminate on September 9, 2026, according to the USCIS update released on September 3, 2026.
Source: uscis.gov

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