Hundreds of faith leaders urge Trump administration to extend TPS for El Salvador

Hundreds of faith leaders and organizations sent the Trump administration a letter urging it to review and extend temporary protected status (TPS) for El Salvador before it expires on Sept. 9.

The letter , sent to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called for an extension because conditions in El Salvador remain “unsafe” and the removal of those living in the U.S. would be “detrimental” to communities.

“We believe that sending hundreds of thousands of Salvadoran TPS holders back into an unstable and unfamiliar country that does not have the capability to support its own nationals is a danger to those individuals and a decision that would have severe negative consequences for years to come,” the letter said.

“A thoughtful review of the current conditions in El Salvador, consideration of their contributions as TPS holders to the United States and the administration’s obligation to respect the statutory framework which governs TPS, supports an extension of El Salvador’s TPS designation,” the letter said.

The 97 faith-based organizations and 174 faith leaders “have a shared purpose in respecting human…