Jose, a bartender on the Las Vegas Strip and a member of the Culinary Union, is one of the thousands of Salvadorian nationals living in Nevada under temporary protected status. He now faces uncertainty about his status after living in the U.S. for 25 years.
“I appreciate the opportunity this country gave me, but now that same opportunity is being taken away,” said Jose, who asked that his real name not be used out of fear of being targeted for detention or deportation.
If he loses his work permit, Jose fears being left without a job and unable to cover his mortgage, utilities, food and other expenses. His wife works, but they both calculated that her income would not be enough to maintain their current payments, especially as the cost of living rises.
“The United States has become my country because I’ve lived most of my life here, it’s where I raised my family, and I don’t see a future anywhere else,” Jose said.
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Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge called the Trump administration’s move to remove TPS status from Salvadorians “misguided,” adding that it will have deep impacts on Nevada’s economy and members of his union.
“We have thousands of TPS members that are Culinary union members. Many of them, like our Salvadorian brothers and sisters, have been here for decades and have children, grown kids. They have homes. They pay taxes, and they’re critical to our economy here in Las Vegas,” Pappageorge said, during a press conference Wednesday.