Hanover, MD—In response to the Secretary of Homeland Security’s announcement to terminate the Temporary Protected Status of Salvadorans living and working in the United States, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades issued the following statement:

After months of uplifting the voices of TPS union members across the nation and advocating for a permanent solution for TPS recipients, we are utterly outraged with the current administration and congress for their failure to act in a manner that protects working people.

In terminating TPS for 260,000 hardworking Salvadorans, many of whom have been authorized to live in the U.S. for almost 20 years are now faced with a decision: self-deport to a country they no longer recognize or stay in the U.S. undocumented. In preparation for this decision, the IUPAT has and will continue to lead Know Your Rights outreach at non-union worksites across the country. This is just one of many coordinated actions in our ongoing effort to educate, agitate and organize working people directly affected by this issue in the construction industry.

Our fight in congress to save TPS has not ended—“We urge Congress to do what is right and immediately pass a long-term legislative solution that gives every TPS family the stability and security they’ve earned and deserve” says Kenneth E. Rigmaiden, General President of IUPAT. “During these uncertain times, one thing is certain: we will continue to represent and support our members to the fullest extent, and we will fight through all the available avenues to protect all working people—we will amplify their voices and stand steadfast, shoulder to shoulder with our labor and community allies until a just solution is reached.”