Immigrants Applying for Temporary Protection Exceed Expectations By Christina Pino-Marina washingtonpost.com Staff Writer Monday, May 21, 2001; 7:09 AM Exceeding the expectations of U.S. immigration officials, more than 160,000 Salvadorans in the United States have applied for Temporary Protected Status, an immigration measure that took effect in March to assist recovery efforts in earthquake-ravaged El Salvador. The status, known as TPS, allows undocumented Salvadorans to work and reside legally in the United States for 18 months. Working Salvadorans will likely send home more than a billion of dollars in remittances - money that will have a direct impact on the reconstruction of the Central American nation. The Bush administration approved the special status after two separate earthquakes in January and February killed more than 1,000 people and destroyed 150,000 homes in the small but densely populated nation of about 6 million. After the application period began March 9, Immigration and Naturalization Service officials estimated 150,000 Salvadoran immigrants living in the United States would qualify for TPS. By last week, the INS had received 161,454 applications and approved 19,666 work permits, according to Dan Kane, an INS spokesman in Washington. "We never knew this many people would apply," Kane said. "It's been an aggressive outreach effort. We got the word out quickly through Hispanic media organizations and the Salvadoran embassy, but we are still surprised." But others who work directly with members of the Salvadoran community predicted the number of applications could almost double by the time the 18-month period expires Sept. 9, 2002. Saul Solorzano, executive director of Washington's Central American Resource Center, said he expects 250,000 or more Salvadorans in the United States to qualify for the status. "We had hundreds of people a day in the beginning and there was a line going around the block," Solorzano said. "Things are moving along very well. People are coming every day and we expect another large turnout before the end of year." Salvadoran nationals who arrived in the United States on or prior to February 13 and who can demonstrate they have lived in the country continually since that date are eligible for TPS. They must also show they have been continuously physically present since March 9 of this year. Individuals who have committed a felony, two misdemeanors, or who are subject to certain criminal bars to asylum are excluded. Of an estimated 1.5 million Salvadorans living in the United States, about 150,000 live in the Washington area, which has one of the highest concentrations of Salvadorans in the nation. Juan Nuñez, 19, is a community volunteer from Gaithersburg who applied for TPS and helps other Salvadorans fill out applications. He spends hours seated across from his hopeful compatriots at a Columbia Heights community center, reviewing birth certificates, identification cards, pay stubs and other documents required to prove U.S. residency and dates of entry. He also fills out the English-only forms for them, often by hand. "They get excited with the TPS," Nuñez said. "Because there is the way you can be sure...instead of afraid Immigration will get you and send you back to El Salvador." Kane said the INS does not have the resources to search door-to-door for undocumented immigrants, as many fear. "One of the great fears of any undocumented immigrant in the United States is being apprehended and removed by the INS, because very often it splits families," he said. "So what this (TPS) offers every Salvadoran is stability." Angela Kelley, an immigration policy expert at the National Immigration Forum in Washington, said the temporary nature of TPS allows for short-term solutions with long-term uncertainties for many Salvadorans. "On the one hand, you want to start putting down roots, you want to start sending your kids to school, you want to start learning English, you start working and paying social security and taxes," Kelley said. "But on the other hand, you're never quite sure when that's all going to get taken away from you." Kane said Salvadorans who qualify for TPS are expected to return to their home country after the 18-month period ends. Solorzano said many will want to stay in the United States. "The question now is: Are 18 months enough? Many people think that it is not enough," he said. "One thing I can assure you is that people will not be self-deporting themselves at the end of 18 months." © 2001 Washington Post Newsweek Interactive http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54433-2001May21.html