Mass Deportation Made Personal for El Salvadorans in U.S.

Overview

For the Velasco family, life in California feels like an American dream. But having stayed in the U.S. under a program called Temporary Protected Status, it’s a dream that may soon end. President Trump plans to halt TPS for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Latin America and Haiti. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on what’s at stake for the Velascos and families like them.

Videos

 Discussion Questions

  1. What problems can you identify in this story? Are solutions presented?
  2. In what way might this story be relevant in your community?
  3. If you lived in the U.S. under a TPS program, how would you feel about the proposed mass deportation?
  4. One argument is that the program should end because it was considered temporary. Based on the El Salvador TPS program, how should future TPS programs operate?
  5. Even after the earthquake, TPS has been repeatedly been extended because the country is not safe to return to. What conditions are preventing the safe return to El Salvador?
  6. Mass deportation would overwhelm the resettlement NGOs in El Salvador. What are some other ways a mass influx of people would impact El Salvador?

 Writing Prompt (250 Words) 

What are the ethical implications of ending the TPS program for El Salvador?