WEBVTT 00:02.100 --> 00:04.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump has made another consequential decision regarding immigrants 00:04.400 --> 00:06.800 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% in this country. 00:06.800 --> 00:10.666 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% The administration announced that it is ending a program that gave temporary status to hundreds 00:11.800 --> 00:13.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% of thousands of people from El Salvador. 00:13.833 --> 00:18.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% As Lisa Desjardins explains, their protected status will end by September 2019. 00:20.533 --> 00:23.900 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: The U.S. gave Salvadorans this status to help after devastating earthquakes 00:24.500 --> 00:26.466 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% hit in 2001. 00:26.466 --> 00:29.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% They are the latest group to face possible deportation in the future. 00:29.400 --> 00:33.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The Trump administration has so far announced it would also end this temporary status for 00:33.733 --> 00:36.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti. 00:36.400 --> 00:40.700 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% In total, that would affect nearly 400,000 people in the U.S. 00:40.700 --> 00:45.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% The largest group is over 250,000 from El Salvador. 00:45.266 --> 00:48.700 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% For more, I'm joined by Dara Lind, who covers immigration for Vox. 00:48.700 --> 00:49.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Thanks for joining us. 00:49.966 --> 00:52.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% DARA LIND, Vox: Thanks for having me, Lisa. 00:52.033 --> 00:53.266 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% LISA DESJARDINS: Let's just start with what the Trump administration says they're doing. 00:53.266 --> 00:55.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Why are they doing this now? 00:55.300 --> 00:59.033 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% DARA LIND: So, the administration has taken the attitude that, as long as the initial 00:59.033 --> 01:03.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% disaster for which they gave TPS to somebody - - so, in this case, the earthquake in El 01:03.700 --> 01:07.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Salvador in 2001 -- as long as the country has recovered sufficiently from that, they 01:07.700 --> 01:11.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% don't see any reason to continue granting protections for people to be able to stay 01:11.133 --> 01:13.666 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% and work in the U.S. 01:13.666 --> 01:17.333 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% So, they have analyzed the economy of El Salvador, have decided that it has recovered from the 01:19.333 --> 01:23.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% 2001 earthquake, and not paid attention to the considerations that previous administrations 01:25.300 --> 01:29.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% had of how long people have been in the U.S., the fact that at this point they have put 01:29.200 --> 01:34.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% down roots, that many of them now have U.S. citizen children, that had previously prevented 01:35.866 --> 01:38.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% other presidents from stripping legal status from people. 01:38.500 --> 01:43.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: So, you said TPS, temporary protected status. 01:43.100 --> 01:46.166 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% It's interesting they are removing this status now for El Salvadorans. 01:46.166 --> 01:50.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And it's a country that the State Department under President Trump last year warned Americans 01:50.433 --> 01:55.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% not to travel to, citing one of the highest homicide rates in the world. 01:55.133 --> 01:58.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% How does the administration square those two things, telling Americans, don't go there, 01:58.633 --> 02:01.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% but saying this one group of people need to return there? 02:01.433 --> 02:03.800 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% DARA LIND: It's interesting that they didn't, really. 02:03.800 --> 02:08.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% On today's press call, senior administration officials were asked about in particular MS-13, 02:08.733 --> 02:12.866 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% which has been a major rhetorical target of this administration and which really has its 02:12.866 --> 02:15.000 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% home base in El Salvador. 02:15.000 --> 02:19.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And they made it clear that they didn't see the danger as being sufficient to prevent 02:19.566 --> 02:21.700 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% people from going back. 02:21.700 --> 02:24.900 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Of course, the irony is that they're also bragging about deporting MS-13 gang members 02:24.900 --> 02:26.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% back to El Salvador. 02:26.966 --> 02:31.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And on today's press call, they said that the repatriation of deportees back to El Salvador 02:32.800 --> 02:34.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% is evidence that the country is doing well. 02:34.933 --> 02:37.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, they're kind of engaging in this double standard, but they're not trying to square 02:37.733 --> 02:39.766 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% that circle. 02:39.766 --> 02:41.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: It's look like they're looking at the letter of the law. 02:41.800 --> 02:43.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% They're saying this is a temporary status, and we're saying the time is up now. 02:43.766 --> 02:47.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But you implied how is that different from what other presidents have done? 02:47.200 --> 02:50.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Other presidents have not seen it as temporary, even though it's called temporary? 02:50.166 --> 02:54.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DARA LIND: So, the reason the temporary protected status has been such a problem for previous 02:54.800 --> 02:59.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% administrations is there isn't a way to get a green card or get permanent residency in 03:01.033 --> 03:03.333 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% the U.S. from having temporary status. 03:03.333 --> 03:08.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So the choice has been, do you strip legal status from people who have been working in 03:10.300 --> 03:12.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% the U.S. for years, or do you continue to punt the ball down the road, arguing that 03:12.866 --> 03:16.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% recovery is taking a while or other things have changed? 03:16.600 --> 03:19.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Previous administrations have taken the second option. 03:19.100 --> 03:22.933 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% The Trump administration is taking the first option, as you said, taking this very letter-of-the-law 03:22.933 --> 03:27.933 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% approach, without making any considerations for, say, the almost 200,000 U.S.-born children, 03:29.266 --> 03:32.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% for the kind of communities that have grown up. 03:32.000 --> 03:36.300 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This is 16 percent of all El Salvadorans in the U.S. that they are now saying, well, the 03:36.300 --> 03:39.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% initial reason for us giving you status has ended, so we're taking that away. 03:39.800 --> 03:41.600 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: Let's talk about what happens to them now. 03:41.600 --> 03:43.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What exactly are their options? 03:43.133 --> 03:45.633 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I don't know their advocates say they have children here. 03:45.633 --> 03:47.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Many of them have mortgages here. 03:47.366 --> 03:49.500 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% What are their options at this point? 03:49.500 --> 03:53.533 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% DARA LIND: So, the administration gave 18 months more that they can apply for one last 03:55.000 --> 03:57.033 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% work permit to figure out what their options are. 03:57.033 --> 04:01.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% At that point, if they have spouses who are legal residents or U.S. citizens or if they 04:03.066 --> 04:06.500 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% children who are above the age of 21, they have people who will be able to petition for 04:06.500 --> 04:08.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% them to get green cards. 04:08.566 --> 04:12.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Other than that, it's going to be a question of whether they can find some other way to 04:13.833 --> 04:15.033 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% potentially get status into the U.S. 04:15.033 --> 04:16.533 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% (CROSSTALK) 04:16.533 --> 04:18.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: But that's the minority, probably, right? 04:18.566 --> 04:22.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DARA LIND: It's very difficult for somebody to go from being unauthorized -- or to go 04:23.633 --> 04:27.566 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% from not having an obvious pathway to being able to stay in the U.S. 04:27.566 --> 04:31.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And so the choice facing most of them is really whether they go into the shadows and become 04:31.233 --> 04:35.833 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% unauthorized immigrants, or whether they go back to El Salvador. 04:35.833 --> 04:38.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's not like they are forced to go back. 04:38.966 --> 04:43.966 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% The Trump administration probably is not going to deport all 200,000 people -- or 250,000 04:45.366 --> 04:48.700 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% people, rather, the day after their work permits expire. 04:48.700 --> 04:53.566 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% But the choice of going and becoming an unauthorized immigrant certainly doesn't come without its 04:53.566 --> 04:54.833 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% risks. 04:54.833 --> 04:56.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% LISA DESJARDINS: And one last question, quickly. 04:56.300 --> 04:57.733 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% How are the countries involved reacting to this? 04:57.733 --> 05:00.133 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Is this changing how they see the U.S., or no? 05:00.133 --> 05:03.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DARA LIND: The relationship between the Trump administration and a lot of Latin American 05:03.533 --> 05:08.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% countries has been a little bit fraught, not least because of the way that the administration 05:10.466 --> 05:13.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% describes the MS-13 gang problem and appears to be implicating the Salvadoran government 05:13.666 --> 05:15.733 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% in not doing enough to help with it. 05:15.733 --> 05:20.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But the administration hasn't really had its immigration policy guided by that, right? 05:22.333 --> 05:25.933 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% It's considered the America-first ideology to be the center of it. 05:25.933 --> 05:29.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And it's kind of managed its relationships with other countries around that. 05:29.233 --> 05:31.466 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: Dara Lind of Vox, thank you for joining us. 05:31.466 --> 05:31.933 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% DARA LIND: Thank you.