his week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it was ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for individuals from El Salvador, allowing them 18 months to alter their immigration status or face deportation. AGC previously joined other construction organizations in encouraging Congress to use its authority to take legislative action and ensure TPS holders can continue to work legally in the country.
Granted to individuals fleeing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances, the TPS program is a category of legal status that confers work authorization in the United States. The system has existed for decades and involves strong vetting and biometrics.
While El Salvador is the latest country to come under the Administration’s scrutiny of the program, the program itself covers over 300,000 individuals within the United States, 50,000 of whom work in the construction industry. AGC is concerned that ending the legal work status for 50,000 construction workers nationwide will exacerbate the industry’s growing workforce shortage.
For more information, contact Jim Young at [email protected] or (202) 547-0133.