Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 200,000 El Salvadorans in the U.S. will be terminated in 18 months, DHS Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen announced today. TPS is a special program Congress created to protect nationals of other countries from natural disasters and other catastrophic events. El Salvador was designated for TPS protection after an 7.6 earthquake hit the country in 2001. The designation will terminate on Sept. 9, 2019. According to DHS, El Salvadorans may continue to apply for extension and employment authorization documents (EADs) prior to the termination date. More details will follow.