Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018 | 2 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
View more of the Sun's opinion section
After President Donald Trump announced this month that Temporary Protected Status would be rescinded for about 200,000 Salvadorans who are living in the U.S., a number of Nevada leaders stepped up in support of the roughly 5,700 of those TPS recipients in Nevada.
The Trump administration’s order, which follows a similar one on Haiti, gives TPS recipients until September 2019 to leave the country or somehow obtain a green card. That’s given leaders a window in which to pursue action to establish permanent protections for the recipients.
Here’s a sampling of comments on the issue from Nevada:
• Gov. Brian Sandoval, speaking to reporters: “My response would be the same as what I’ve said in regards to DACA individuals. These are people who have lived and worked and contributed to our society in a very positive way, and so I would like to find a way where they can hopefully remain in the U.S.”
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., in a statement: “Today’s meeting with Nevada families impacted by President Trump’s TPS decision is a reminder of the catastrophic human costs of his reckless, misinformed, and racist anti-immigrant agenda. Salvadoran nationals who have received TPS have fled civil war and natural disasters and came to the country to rebuild their lives. They have started families, gone to school, and opened businesses. These families have contributed so much to our country and are stellar models of American values. This decision is a reminder that President Trump and his administration care little, if at all, about the wellbeing of hardworking families and are willing to tear them apart. This needs to stop. We need a permanent solution to protect TPS families, and the Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency (SECURE) Act would do just that. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to prevent this assault on families in Nevada, and across our country.”
• Rep. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., in a statement: “It is unconscionable for this administration to uproot the lives of thousands of Salvadorans who have come to call Nevada home. These immigrants came to this country seeking refuge and have built their lives here. For years, even decades, they have worked in our communities, contributed to our economy, sent their children to our schools, and raised their families here. This administration’s cruel decision to end TPS will upend lives and cause unnecessary instability, leaving the lives of tens of thousands of Salvadorans and their families across the country hanging in the balance. I will continue fight this administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and will advocate for policies that keep families together.”
• Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., in a statement: “Today the Trump administration put targets on the backs of nearly 5,700 Salvadoran TPS holders in Nevada. I am co-sponsoring the American Promise Act to protect the men and women who came here two decades ago to flee danger and build prosperous lives. Republicans should join me in defending the valuable contributions these folks make in our community every day and the $200 million Salvadorans generate in Nevada every year. Voting on the bill now is the best way to find a permanent solution to this attack on immigrants.”
• Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., in a statement: “Nearly 6,000 Salvadorans currently benefit from TPS in Nevada, where they contribute an estimated $255 million to the state’s economy. These figures are but a fraction of the economic benefit provided by all TPS recipients, not to mention the immeasurable familial and cultural ties these immigrants have to our country. Congress must find a long-term solution for these individuals in order to continue our long national tradition of providing safety to people in need.”
