PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
March 5, 2026
Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries from El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua have given between 20 and 30 years of their lives—their most productive years—to the United States. There, they have formed families, put down roots, and sustained entire communities with their work.
More than 170,000 people from El Salvador depend on this program to live and work legally in the country, and more than 53,000 people from Honduras and Nicaragua have already lost their TPS, leaving them with no way to regularize their immigration status. Many of them are now between 40 and 70 years old; they are mothers and fathers of U.S. citizens, and after decades of contribution, they are being treated as if they were temporary and disposable.
Thousands of these families now face growing uncertainty due to recent decisions affecting the program's continuity and confusing information about work permits published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
In response to this situation, Alianza Americas, together with the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Caucus, held a bicameral briefing in Washington, D.C., to update legislative teams on the serious situation facing TPS holders from Honduras and Nicaragua following the cancellation of their protections, as well as on the confusion affecting the Salvadoran community regarding the automatic extension of work permits.
The panel included the participation of Alianza Americas member organizations that work directly with affected communities: Centro Presente, represented by its executive director, Patricia Montes, and by Jackey Baiza, a TPS beneficiary from Honduras; the Central American Resource Center in Washington, D.C. (CARECEN DC), represented by its executive director, Abel Núñez; and the Semillas de Resistencia program in Florida, represented by its policy coordinator, Yareliz Méndez Zamora.
Jackey Baiza shared the fear she faces after losing her protection, despite having lived in the United States since she was two years old. “From one moment to the next, my life changed; I lost my job and my health insurance. My family and I live in constant fear that I will be arrested and separated from the people I love.”
On her part, Patricia Montes stressed the urgency of a legislative response. "The cancellation of TPS for Honduras puts thousands of families at risk who cannot return to a country marked by violence, institutional fragility, and instability to which the United States has contributed for years through foreign policy decisions that have weakened democracy. Congress must act urgently and pass a permanent solution that includes a path to residency."
Abel Núñez emphasized that only Congress can provide a permanent solution: “People with TPS have been building this country for decades and deserve to be treated with dignity. Legislation is urgently needed to guarantee them stability and give them the option of returning with dignity or accessing a path to permanent residency that protects the lives they have earned and built with their families in the United States.”
Yareliz Méndez Zamora highlighted the impact that the cancellation of TPS would have on Nicaraguan families. “Many TPS holders from Nicaragua have lived in the United States for more than 25 years and are raising U.S. citizen children. Canceling the program would mean separating families and destabilizing entire communities.”
The session was held in a hybrid format and featured Dulce Guzmán, executive director of Alianza Americas; Helena Olea, deputy director; and Yanira Arias, advocacy and leadership organizer. During the meeting, Olea emphasized the importance of a congressional response grounded in human rights and due process, while Arias highlighted the impact of misinformation and USCIS administrative delays on families and communities.
During the session, Dulce Guzmán presented a series of recommendations aimed at strengthening legislative oversight of USCIS, ensuring that public information about TPS is clear and accurate, and moving toward a permanent legislative solution for people who have lived in and contributed to the country for decades.
For the full recommendations presented to Congress, see the briefing paper prepared by Alianza Americas.
Alianza Americas will continue working at the local level and with Congress to promote legislative solutions that protect Central American communities and strengthen a fair and humane immigration policy that respects the dignity of all people, including those who have dedicated decades of their lives to this country.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.
