LGBT activists from El Salvador criticized President Donald J. Trump’s decision to remove Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from the 200,000 Salvadoran non-citizens currently living in the U.S., according to an article from the Washington Blade.

These non-citizens were granted TPS by then-U.S. President George W. Bush in 2001 after their home country was ravaged by two earthquakes. Since then, Bush and then-U.S. President Barack Obama renewed their status every 18 months. On January 8, 2018, President Trump announced the Salvadorans must leave the country by September 9, 2019, or else they will be considered illegal immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the country has since recovered from the earthquakes but members of the LGBT community said, for them it is not safe — not because of the ongoing gang violence, but because of the country’s mistreatment of LGBT people. The Blade reported that, in El Salvador, discrimination and violence takes place against the LGBT community on an ongoing basis.

The New York immigration lawyers at Bretz & Coven, LLP understand the issues LGBT non-citizens face and offer immigration legal services in an LGBT-friendly environment. Whether you or your loved one are seeking citizenship, asylum, or are facing deportation, our immigration lawyers are available to help protect your legal rights and attainable pathways to legal residence or citizenship. For more information, or for a consultation, call (212) 267-2555.