Key facts
- Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala is urging an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans.
- Salvadorans with TPS have built careers, purchased homes, started businesses, and raised families in the U.S.
- Ending TPS abruptly could impact American families, workplaces, parishes, neighborhoods, and local economies.
- Industries like construction, hospitality, agriculture, nursing, childcare, and elder care rely on TPS holders.
- The bishop requested time for a transition period before any change in TPS status takes effect.
- An extension would allow Congress time to enact a permanent lawful solution for long-term residents.
Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, the tenth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, has called for an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans living in the U.S. Drawing on his own experience as an immigrant who benefited from TPS before obtaining permanent residency, Bishop Menjivar-Ayala emphasized the significant contributions Salvadorans have made to American communities and the potential disruption if their status is abruptly ended.