Today, President Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security to heartlessly terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some 200,000 Salvadorans living in the United States and is preparing to send families to dangerous situations. This is just the latest in a string of callous attacks on families by the Trump administration, and is yet another move that will threaten families and disrupt our communities and our economy.
 
This is un-American. The words at the base of our Statue of Liberty welcoming the ‘tempest-tossed’ to our country have in many ways defined our country.  Allowing people to apply for TPS if something catastrophic happens in their country of origin -- like war, famine, a natural disaster, or an epidemic -- is part of our heritage. However, this life saving protection is now being taken away, as is our standing in the world as leaders of hope, freedom, and prosperity.
  
TPS recipients are our mothers, our neighbors, our community leaders, and our friends. Many of the Salvadoran TPS recipients have lived and worked in the United States for decades. They have paid taxes, built businesses and contributed to our country’s strength and prosperity. Many have children who were born in the United States and know no other home. Withdrawing TPS for Salvadorans will force hundreds of thousands of people to leave their lives and children behind to return to El Salvador, one of the most dangerous and impoverished countries in the world. This move is short-sighted and unconscionable.
 
The moms of America know that tearing children away from mothers is never the answer, and that our country’s diversity is what makes us strong and prosperous, not the opposite. We urge the Trump administration to reverse this decision and instead extend TPS for Salvadorans and all the other recipients who enrich our communities and help grow our economy. Additionally, Congress must take immediate action to permanently protect TPS holders, to pass the Dream Act, and to advance comprehensive immigration reform. Until then, America’s moms will challenge this and every other heartless anti-immigrant action.

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