Salvadoran Immigrants Anxious About Being Deported If Program Ends in 2018

The holiday season in Cristian Chavez’s Houston home is usually full of cheer, with relatives and friends eating tamales and other Central American dishes before unwrapping gifts.Chavez is looking forward to more happy times with his wife and two stepchildren. But he can’t help but worry about a dark cloud looming over the season.He is one of the more than 263,000 Salvadorans in the country on Temporary Protected Status, a program that keeps immigrants from war-torn or disaster-affected countries from being deported and allows them to work in the U.S. legally. President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to end the protection for Salvadorans when the program comes up for renewal next month.“This is usually a time for celebrating Christmas with the kids, but there’s an uncertainty about what awaits us in the new year,” Chavez said. “They’ve already taken TPS from the Haitians and the Nicaraguans. It’s obvious they will take it from us, too. All I feel is fear and anxiety about not knowing what will happen to my family.”  Continue reading...