Biden Faces Pressure to Secure Immigrants’ Legal Status Ahead of Trump’s Possible Mass Deportations

WASHINGTON — Jose Cabrera, a landscaping worker from Montgomery County, Maryland, paused his job to advocate with three Latino Democratic senators during a press conference on Wednesday. Together, they pressed the Biden administration to extend protected status for immigrants like Cabrera, who faces potential deportation after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Having resided in the U.S. for over 30 years, Cabrera holds Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to the dangerous conditions in his native El Salvador, allowing him to live and work legally in the country. Yet, he fears losing this status, especially as Trump has vowed to intensify immigration enforcement.

Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), Alex Padilla (California), and Ben Ray Luján (New Mexico) are urging the administration to renew TPS for nationals from Nicaragua and El Salvador. As it stands, the TPS for El Salvador will expire in March, and Nicaragua’s will follow in July, shortly after Trump’s inauguration.

“We know the incoming administration is going to try to implement chaotic immigration policies that tear our families apart,” Cortez Masto warned.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus reinforces the need for swift action, urging the White House to expedite renewals for individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Cortez Masto emphasized the urgency: “It’s time for this administration to ensure that we can renew their DACA status now, before they come under threat from the Trump administration.”

The pressures mount as senators highlight the potential consequences of mass deportations promised by Trump. If TPS is not renewed, many could find themselves at risk of deportation, a prospect that alarms immigrants currently under this protection.

TPS statuses can last anywhere from six to 18 months, protecting over a million immigrants without offering a pathway to citizenship. Currently, designations exist for 17 countries, including those affected by ongoing crises, like Ukrainians fleeing the war.

Andrea Flores, vice president of immigration policy at FWD.us, urges Biden to leverage TPS in defense of those at risk under Trump’s regime. During Trump’s first term, attempts to eliminate TPS for certain countries faced legal barriers in 2018.

Padilla and Luján highlighted the negative ramifications mass deportations could inflict on communities and the economy. Following a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, they articulated that deportations would create fear and instability for mixed-status families, which number around four million in the U.S.

Padilla pointed out that TPS and DACA holders are vital to essential sectors of the U.S. economy. “By taking work authorization for hundreds of thousands of workers away, we’re gutting our own workforce,” he asserted.

As discussions unfold, Trump’s approach to DACA remains uncertain. In a recent interview, he mentioned a willingness to collaborate with Democrats on a plan to retain DACA recipients but provided no specific details. Ongoing legal battles continue to shape DACA’s future.

Thomas A. Saenz of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund advises Dreamers to apply for DACA renewals promptly, emphasizing the importance of maintaining their protected status. Meanwhile, Cortez Masto expressed skepticism about Trump’s intentions, recalling previous bipartisan efforts that failed under his administration.

Advocates like Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, deputy director at United We Dream, voiced concerns about the government’s access to personal information of DACA applicants, cautioning that such data could lead to deportations. Her organization is calling for measures to separate immigration data from enforcement agencies.

“The government has all of our information,” she stated, illustrating the fears surrounding potential actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “They could potentially come get us at any point. That’s the worst case scenario.”

Last updated 12:25 p.m., Dec. 11, 2024