U.S. bishops urge continued immigration protections for Ukrainians, Salvadorans

U.S. bishops are calling on the government to maintain immigration protections for Ukrainians and Salvadorans to prevent deportations and the separation of families. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stated that approximately 170,000 Salvadorans and 100,000 Ukrainians hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation for people from countries deemed unsafe due to conflict or disasters.

The bishops urged the administration to evaluate the threats to human life in these countries of origin and requested meaningful notice regarding future designation changes so that families, employers, and communities can prepare.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an alert on Oct. 19 stating that Ukrainian TPS beneficiaries will keep their protections and employment authorization until a future announcement is made. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Oct. 22 that both Ukrainians and Salvadorans will retain their protections until the agency reaches a final decision on the status of these designations.