There was big immigration news today that may affect our community: Trump has decided to end what’s called temporary protected status (TPS) for 200,000 Salvadorans out of the roughly 1 million in the country, which means they may be forced to return home. As you know, our area has many Salvadorans and other Central Americans.
They’ll have until Sept. 2019 to either get a green card or leave the country. There are also roughly 190,000 children born to TPS parents, so families will have to decide to break up the family or take their American-born children back to El Salvador. The country has the highest murder rate in the world.
Ward 1 councilmember Brianne Nadeau put out a statement after the news broke, asking other council members to pass a bill she’s written to start a legal defense fund for the immigrants, which is called the Access to Justice for Immigrants Act. Here’s more from Councilmember Nadeau:
Nadeau Statement on Trump Decision to End Temporary Protected Status for 200,000 Salvadorans Living in the U.S.
***Versión en Español disponible abajo***
Washington – Today, Ward 1 D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau released the following statement after the Trump administration announced that it would terminate Temporary Protected Status for approximately 200,000 Salvadorans living in the United States, including many in the District of Columbia:
“Today’s decision by the Trump administration will tear apart families and uproot long-time members of our community. America and the District are stronger when we welcome immigrants and recognize that we have a responsibility to stand up for our neighbors who are vulnerable. As Councilmember, I authored the Access to Justice for Immigrants Act which will create a permanent legal fund to assist the District’s documented and undocumented immigrant residents. The Council should pass it. I also call on Congress to end the uncertainty for our Salvadoran residents and create a permanent fix that allows them to stay in the communities that they call home.”
“La decisión de hoy por la administración del Presidente Trump separará a las familias y destruirá muchas vidas de los miembros establecidos de nuestra comunidad. Los Estados Unidos y el Distrito son más fuertes cuando damos la bienvenida a los inmigrantes y reconocemos que tenemos la responsabilidad de defender a nuestros vecinos que son vulnerables. Como Concejal, yo escribí elAccess to Justice for Immigrants Act (Acceso a la Justicia para Inmigrantes) que creará un fondo legal permanente para asistir a los residentes documentados e indocumentados del Distrito. El Concejo del Distrito debería aprobarlo. También le hago un llamado al Congreso que ponga fin a la incertidumbre para nuestros residentes Salvadoreños y crear una solución permanente que les permita quedarse en sus comunidades que llaman hogar.”
