CCUSA president and CEO disappointed in Trump administration’s decision on TPS for Salvadorans

Migrants and Refugees

January 8, 2018

Alexandria, Va. – Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) President and CEO, Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, expressed her deep disappointment in the Trump administration’s decision today to not renew the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans in the U.S. This decision will impact more than 250,000 people who have until September 2019 to return to a country which remains plagued by one of the highest murder rates in the world as well as ongoing violence and civil unrest.

“I am deeply disappointed by the administration’s decision not to renew the Temporary Protected Status for El Salvadorans in this country who, like so many other immigrants and refugees, came here to live a life free of danger and poverty. The decision is devastating not only for the 250,000 Salvadorans who have established themselves in this country as trusted employees, neighbors and members of the community but also for the nearly 200,000 children who are citizens of this country and face either being separated from their families or leaving the only country they have ever known.

“At the heart of the work of Catholic Charities is the Gospel mandate to welcome the stranger and care for the most vulnerable among us. It is in that spirit that we support immigrants and refugees who continue to arrive in this country, many forced to flee their homes with whatever they can carry, and welcome them with a helping hand. It is my sincere hope that leaders can put aside their political differences and find a solution which protects these and other migrants facing a future of uncertainty.”