LA councilmembers ask Biden to set protections for TPS holders

 As a preparatory measure for a second Donald Trump presidential term, the Los Angeles City government has begun to look for ways to protect and safeguard the immigrant community residing in the city. 

One of the initial responses was a newly introduced proposition signed by seven councilmembers urging current President Joe Biden to extend protection for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras. 

TPS, which was established in 1990, is a temporary immigration status that allows people who were displaced by armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other life-altering conditions to temporarily reside in the United States. TPS designation can last up to 18 months and can be extended and renewed indefinitely.  

“We refuse to stand by and let Donald Trump deport our neighbors, family, friends, and coworkers,” said councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who was also the person who introduced the notion. “The Biden administration still has the power to protect these families, and I urge President Biden to act now.”

This year, the Biden administration renewed TPS for the Central American countries of El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras,  but those protections are currently set to expire in the spring and summer of 2025. The seven L.A. councilmembers who signed the resolution believe the Biden administration has the unilateral authority to redesignate TPS for Central American countries, which would protect nearly 250,000 TPS families living in the US until 2026. 

Today, approximately 60,000 of these TPS holders reside in California and roughly 30,000 in L.A., making the city home to the largest Central American community in the country.

For many, TPS serves as more than immigration protection. TPS holders are not only non-removable from the U.S. and protected by being detainable by the Department of Homeland Security on the basis of his or her immigration status, but they are also eligible for an employment authorization document and eligible for travel authorization.

During his latest campaign, Trump promised to end TPS for Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. 

Most recently, on Sunday night, Trump also announced in a social media post that Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as “border czar” in his incoming administration. 

“No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder,” Homan said at a conservative conference earlier this year. He also vowed to “run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen.”

Martha Arevalo, executive director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), said Biden can provide protection by redesignating TPS before Trump takes office in January 2025.

"In these uncertain times, we must come together, organize, and advocate to secure protections as soon as possible," Arevalo said. “The urgency of upcoming TPS deadlines for countries like El Salvador cannot be overstated, especially with the incoming administration that has previously attempted to terminate these programs. TPS is a lifeline for thousands of families. Together, we urge the Biden Administration to redesignate TPS for Central American countries now."

In the coming weeks, the L.A. City Council will vote on the resolution and if adopted, the support for TPS protections will officially be adopted into the City of Los Angeles 2024-2025 Federal Legislative Program.