TPS March to Trump Hotel

Marching From The White House

For locals, the sight of a protest storming the Washington streets must be as common as a traffic light turning red. Seen as a shining light upon the hill, the United States has often been seen as a refuge for those seeing freedom, opportunity, or justice. America’s reputation as being a champion of human rights has been waning in recent years, but in the hearts of many people throughout the world, they trust America to right any wrong.

Nowadays, in order to get your point across to the world, it takes strategic planning. Whether it is on the news or online, people are daily being flooded with reports on genocide, war, famine, and injustice. To get one’s point across and advocate for the protection of those less fortunate is no simple task.

No matter how difficult it is to be the voice for those who can not speak for themselves, the protesters of the TPS Alliance had a commanding presence as they stormed the streets of D.C., attracting the attention of passersby and unaware photographers wandering the streets of the capital.

Temporary Protected Status

TPS or Temporary Protected Status is an immigration act implemented in 1990 which protects foreign nationals currently in the United States who are unable to return to their country due to armed conflict or natural disaster. The amount of time a country is listed as being applicable for TPS is only 18 months. Once the expiration date for TPS visas draws closer a decision will be made by the Department of Homeland Security whether or not to extend the country’s temporary protected status.

Once a foreign national’s TPS has expired they will then be reverted to whatever visa they had prior to being granted protected status in the US. In most cases, a person’s previous visa has long been expired and the path to altering one’s status in a long road lined with miles of red tape.

You can read more about TPS here or here.

The El Salvadorians

Currently, there are 10 countries whose nationals are granted TPS by the United States. The largest by far of those countries is El Salvador. In response to the 2001 earthquake, Salvadorians in the US were granted the option to remain in the country as their homeland recovered from the disaster.

While the cleanup and reconstruction process may be quick, the disarming of gang members is not as easy a fix. El Salvador is a very new country still recovering from a civil war which lasted until 1992. Even as the flames of war has burnt out, the weapons have passed from the hands of soldiers into that of gang members.

Organizations such as MS13 and Bairro 18 have all staked their claim to parts of the country while the government struggles to rebuild their own police force. With the absence of law and opportunity, gangs have gained power but fail to thrive. The ceaseless violence keeps El Salvador as the murder capital of the world with a murder being committed nearly every hour. It is no wonder why Salvadorians have been kept on the TPS list well after the earthquake in 2001 and why these people are fighting for their right to citizenship.

You can read more about the violence in El Salvador here or here.

Separating Families

There are currently over 263,000 Salvadorians that are protected in the United States. It has been 18 years since Salvadorians have been given TPS and have since taken jobs, gotten married, raised families. On September 9, 2019, the protection of Salvadorian nationals in the US will formally end, meaning that those who are unable to alter their status will be deported. Some families may even be separated as a result of the expiration of TPS, leaving their children behind in the United States.

With the fear of families being torn apart, people are scrambling to find ways to remain in the United States. What many may not realize is that these are people with homes, jobs, and families. The deportation of this large group of people would have tremorous effects on the country.

There are options for those holding TPS to remain in the country, you can review the options here!

The March to Citizenship

Those holding Temporary Protect Status are allowed to obtain a drivers license, open a business, get a mortgage for a home, and essentially live as any other American would. With the impending cancellation of their TPS, these immigrants risk their families literally being torn apart. Currently, those holding TPS are unable to become a resident within the United States. While it is possible for a select few to apply for a green card, they will first have to return to their country and wait up to 10-years until their application can be finally processed.

Those with families do not have the option of returning to El Salvador and waiting in political limbo for a decade, these protestors believe that there needs to be a complete redrafting of TPS regulations which protect the rights of those who have invested so much of their lives in the United States.

You can read more about the end of TPS for El Salvadorians here.

Staring Down the Trumps

Members of the TPS Alliance ended a 12-week freedom ride around the United States, speaking with people of all backgrounds in an effort to unite the community and push for change in Washington. The bus came to its final stop in front of the White House where the 50 passengers met supporters and fellow TPS holders who then partook in a march leading straight to the Trump Hotel.

It is no secret that the Trump Administration has been pushing for stricter immigration policies, an increase in deportations, and the erection of Donald’s own glistening border wall. Contrary to what many may think there were actually a higher number of deportations under Obama, with 409, 849 in 2012 than what Trump had in his first year in office (over 256,000)

While the numbers may show fewer deportations under Trump than his predecessor, one can not deny the President’s undiplomatic way of addressing those seeking residency in the US. The remarks made by the seating president has only given insult to injury to many of the hard-working immigrants working to keep the American Dream alive.

You can read more about Trump’s comments on immigration (especially Mexico) here.

The Art of Fear Mongering

President Trump may not be known in the history books as being the most eloquent speaker, but he will, however, be noted for his ability to rile up a crowd. With a slew of buzz words and catch phrases, Trump supporters can be heard chanting “build the wall” well before Trump has even mentioned immigration in one of his speeches. The practice of blaming the problems of a nation on foreigners can go back centuries, the freshest instance in our minds is probably the persecution of the Jews under the direction of Adolf Hitler. While Trump is far from rounding up immigrants into camps, no one can deny the prejudice tone which lines every speech.

America is and will forever be a land of immigrants. The laws that are in place should protect those who have called the United States home for over a decade and never in any instance separate children from their parents. In the face of deportation and racism, protests like the one in front of Trump International Hotel will continue to erupt until the rights of these residents are protected by the government. While Republicans and Democrats are busy jeering and throwing schoolyard insults back and forth, groups of people like the Salvadorians are fighting for their rights and their families.