WASHINGTON — Thousands of Salvadoran immigrants in the United States are facing uncertainty over their future as the Trump administration considers whether to continue Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for the country’s nationals.

For about 25 years, TPS has allowed roughly 170,000 Salvadorans to live and work legally in the United States while protecting them from deportation. The protection had been scheduled to expire on September 9, but the Department of Homeland Security had not announced a final decision by that date.

DHS said Salvadorans covered by TPS would continue to retain their protection and work authorization until an official announcement is made. The department did not specify when a final decision would be issued.

The uncertainty has left many Salvadoran families worried about their jobs, homes and children. Soledad Miranda, who arrived in the United States in 1997, said she had begun packing belongings in case she is eventually forced to leave the country.

Miranda, 52, has built her life in the United States and has a 16-year-old daughter who is a US citizen. She works as a cleaner in a government building and said losing work authorization could make it impossible for her to afford her apartment.

Immigrant advocates say many Salvadoran TPS holders have spent decades establishing families and careers in the United States. Abel Nuñez, executive director of the Central American Resource Center in Washington, said many people were anxiously waiting for the administration to announce what would happen next.

Some Salvadorans had hoped the relationship between US President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele could influence the administration’s decision. Bukele has worked closely with the Trump administration on immigration and border-security matters.

Jaime Contreras, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union’s 32BJ Capital Area District, said ending TPS could affect workers and employers who rely on Salvadoran immigrants.

The issue could also have economic consequences in El Salvador. Remittances sent home by Salvadorans living abroad account for more than a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.

The Trump administration has taken steps to end TPS protections for nationals of several countries. A recent analysis cited in the report said that, by mid-August, TPS remained in place for only four countries, including El Salvador.

TPS was originally granted to Salvadorans following devastating earthquakes in 2001. The program provides temporary protection to eligible nationals of countries facing conditions that make it unsafe for them to return.

The administration has argued that TPS was intended to be temporary, while immigrant advocates have emphasized that many beneficiaries have lived in the United States for decades and established families and careers there.

White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that the future of Salvadoran TPS would depend on a decision by the Department of Homeland Security. He also pointed to improvements in security conditions in El Salvador under Bukele.

With no final announcement at the time of the report, immigrant advocacy groups were advising Salvadoran TPS holders to consult immigration attorneys or other trusted advisers to determine whether they had alternative legal pathways to remain in the United States.

The uncertainty has been particularly difficult for families with US citizen children. Miranda said her greatest concern was her daughter, who was beginning her junior year of high school.

For now, Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries remain protected while the administration considers its next step, but the long-term status of the program remains unresolved.

SOURCE: CNN, Catherine E. Shoichet and Ione Molinares, September 10, 2026.