By Elizabeth Campos

Staff Writer

On Jan. 8, the termination of the Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for El Salvador was announced by the Secretary of State, threatening the safety of over 200,000 Salvadorans living in the United States.

Salvadorans that were protected under TPS were allowed to work and live legally in the U.S after the devastating earthquakes that hit El Salvador in 2001. Despite more countries than El Salvador were protected under TPS, the cease of TPS affects El Salvador the most as they contributed to more than half of the people protected under the immigration policy.

Given until Sept. 9, 2019, to be covered under TPS, the government of El Salvador pleaded the U.S to keep TPS for Salvadorans living in the U.S. However, if a decision isn’t made by the Secretary of State 60 days before the extended protection date, TPS will be automatically renewed for another 6 months to determine a decision.

“We’ve told the U.S. also that, of course they had their reasons initially for granting TPS in 2001 — the instability following the earthquakes in January and February of 2001 — unfortunately we’ve suffered other catastrophes,” explained Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez in an interview with Voice of America’s Latin America service.

In addition to El Salvador’s TPS being abolished, other countries including Syria, Nepal, Honduras, Somalia, Yemen, and South Sudan’s TPS has been enacted to conclude as well. Despite the financial instability of the country,  gang violence and poverty, the Department of Homeland Security stated that based on their findings that reconstruction had been completed in El Salvador, the country was capable of taking back the 262,500 Salvadorans settled in the U.S.

“The Secretary determined that the original conditions caused by the 2001 earthquakes no longer exist. Thus, under the applicable statute, the current TPS designation must be terminated.” the department said in a statement.

Despite of the possibility of extended time, many Salvadorans have now been put in a panic. With Salvadorans having an assured 18 months to make a choice they can choose to decide whether or not they will attempt to apply for citizenship, move back to El Salvador, or stay in the U.S illegally.

“There is nothing to go back to in El Salvador,” Salvadoran Veronica Lagunas stated in an interview with the New York Times. “The infrastructure may be better now, but the country is in no condition to receive us.”