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Know This Now, September 11, 2026: Salvadoran TPS and Work Permits Remain Valid, but Employers Still Lack Long-Term Clarity

By September 11, 2026September 14th, 2026No Comments

Salvadoran TPS and Work Permits Remain Valid, but Employers Still Lack Long-Term Clarity

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Wednesday that Salvadorans with Temporary Protected Status remain protected and authorized to work.

It was welcome news for employers and the more than 170,000 Salvadoran immigrants who on average have lived and worked in the US for 25+ years. 

The agency said only that a decision would be announced “at the appropriate time,”  and a formal notice regarding the duration of the protection and work authorization is still pending, according to the Department of Homeland Security 

“Wednesday’s announcement avoids the worst-case scenario of terminating protections for Salvadoran TPS holders, but it leaves more than 170,000 long-term workers, their families and their employers in limbo.”

— Rebecca Shi, CEO, ABIC Action

That lack of clarity has immediate consequences for businesses and the economy. For more than 25 years, Salvadoran TPS holders have worked legally in the United States, paid taxes, raised families, bought homes and helped keep essential industries running.

Read More: ABIC CEO LETTER featured in this morning’s Washington Post, With TPS in doubt for Salvadorans, businesses brace for turmoil

Ahead of the deadline, ABIC Action warned in Newsweek that forcing 170,000 experienced, vetted workers out of the U.S. workforce would destabilize American businesses and raise prices for consumers. 

Salvadoran TPS holders also pay an estimated $1.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes each year and fill critical jobs in construction, hospitality and manufacturing that are difficult to staff with the U.S.-born workforce alone.

For now, Salvadoran TPS holders remain authorized to work, but employers still have no clear timeline or information about what happens next.

The administration must also address the crisis facing Haitian TPS holders, who have already lost protections despite Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian and security crisis and are now being detained and deported.Congress can enact permanent, bipartisan protections, including the American Dream and Promise Act to provide a path to legal status for Dreamers and Immigrants with TPS including Haitians and Salvadorans. 

Read More: First in Politico – ABIC, Texas Restaurant Assn and James Beard Foundation 

Texas Leaders Gather Calling for Long-Term Protections for Dreamers and TPS Holders

As President Trump visited Texas for the Republican midterm convention, U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) joined ABIC Action, Houston-area business owners, labor leaders and elected officials in calling on Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act, which if passed would create a legal path to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship for eligible Dreamers and temporary status holders.

Ahead of the convention and the ABIC Action-led press conference, POLITICO reported that ABIC members had met with White House officials in late August and shared polling showing that more than 80% of Texans support allowing long-term, trusted immigrants to remain in the country with work permits.

More coverage: Univision, Fox Local, CW 39 Houston

Speakers said the uncertainty reaches far beyond immigration policy and into affordability and labor force disruption. Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said the Houston area is home to 60,000 Dreamers who collectively earn $1 billion annually and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.

Business and labor leaders warned that the lack of long-term protections makes it harder for employers to plan, retain experienced employees and fill open jobs.

Zak Galindo, Chairman of the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber, described the destructive nature immigration uncertainty can present to businesses:

“They are doing the right thing, but uncertainty in our immigration system can take away their ability to work.”

Speakers called on both parties to pass the American Dream and Promise Act and replace years of temporary protections and renewal delays with lasting legal status.

Related coverage: Dream Act Petition Is One Signature Short

Efforts to bring the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 1589) to a House vote moved closer to a vote last week as Discharge Petition No. 25 reached 217 signatures, one short of the 218 threshold.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) became the third Republican to sign the petition, joining Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). With every House Democrat now signed on, the final signature would need to come from a Republican.

A discharge petition allows a majority of House members to force a bill to the floor for a vote, even if House leadership has not scheduled one, bypassing Speaker Johnson and House leadership. 

“I am proud to support legislation that gives these young men and women the dignity they have earned.” — Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) 

Comité de 100: Midterm Watch

Last week, hundreds of Hispanic business, community, and elected leaders rallied behind “The Time Is Now,” a national campaign led by the Comité de 100 calling on Congress to provide work permits for long-term, law-abiding immigrants.

Comité de 100 leaders said the Hispanic community cannot be taken for granted as immigration enforcement increases across the country. They pointed to the deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who were reportedly on their way to work when they were killed during separate immigration enforcement operations, and called for accountability and bipartisan action.

“You cannot court us and deport us at the same time.” — Massey Villarreal, Co-chair, Comité de 100 and ABIC Leader

Villarreal said immigration will be a major issue heading into the midterm elections and urged candidates in both parties to oppose worksite raids and mass deportations while supporting work permits for long-term immigrants.

“Lawmakers across the country are fighting for our vote because they know that we decide their future,” Villarreal said.

Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), and LULAC National President Román Palomares also spoke about the impact of immigration enforcement on workers and families and called for lasting protections.

“Hispanic men are being targeted as they go to and from work, to construction sites, to warehouse sites, distribution centers, all of it.” — Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

A 2025 ABIC Action survey of voters in eight target states found that 83% supported allowing long-term, trusted undocumented immigrants working in agriculture, hotels, and restaurants to receive work permits and remain in the United States. Support included 78% of Republican voters.

“We have to stand in the power we have and demand protection for our communities.” — Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL)

Later this month, the Comité de 100 will join major Hispanic organizations from across the political spectrum in Washington, D.C., for a national press conference ahead of the midterms. The event will bring a growing national coalition to the Capitol with one clear message for Congress: Hispanic voters are watching and expect action on work permits for long-term immigrants.

Update with photo: Roundtable with Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling hosted by ABIC and Seat the Table here 

ICE Arrests Remain at Record Levels

ICE officers and agents arrested approximately 50,000 people nationwide in August, matching July’s record-setting pace, according to preliminary data reported by NBC News.

The nationwide surge includes targeted regional pushes, such as “Operation Rotten Apple” in New York State, where Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that immigration officials arrested 2,197 people during a roughly monthlong operation, according to The New York Times.

“Regardless if you’re a criminal or not, if you entered this country and you cheated, you didn’t come in the legal way…” — Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary

The New York enforcement sweep was framed by officials as a response to local sanctuary policies, though Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani strongly disputed administration claims regarding the criminal history of those detained. 

The national arrest data present a wider picture. In July, 51% of people arrested by ICE had no prior criminal record, according to a report by The Guardian. Many were detained for civil immigration violations rather than criminal offenses.

50,000

— Approximate monthly ICE arrests in August, maintaining record highs for the administration 

The administration says the operations are necessary to enforce federal immigration law and protect public safety. The enforcement expansion is backed by nearly $39 billion in new federal funding for immigration detention and enforcement though September 2029.

Get Involved

  1. Join one of ABIC’s Councils of 100 and let your voice be heard with your peers – sign up here. The Council of 100 is a coalition of top business leaders working to advance common-sense workforce solutions.
  2. Share your story: If your business is interested in engaging with the press as part of ABIC or amplifying your story on social media, take this quick survey to let us know your preferences. 
  3. Work with us: ABIC is hiring! We are looking for a California State Director and Digital Manager to join our growing team. Learn more.

Always available: ABIC Employer Resources Folder

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