(Washington, DC) – Today, at the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 9th Annual Business Expo, Mayor Bowser highlighted her recently announced trip to El Salvador to begin a Sister City relationship with San Salvador.
At the State of the District on Thursday, March 15, Mayor Bowser announced that she will travel to El Salvador in July to kick off the Sister City relationship, telling residents: “As President Trump builds walls, we will continue to strengthen relationships.”
During her address, Mayor Bowser once again called on Congress and the President to find a safe path forward for the thousands of long-term residents who have legally lived, worked, and built their lives in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
In September 2017, Mayor Bowser and San Salvador Mayor Nayib Bukele wrote an op-ed calling on the Trump Administration to extend TPS for El Salvador. At the start of 2018, Mayor Bowser once again urged the President to extend TPS, stating: “We have thousands of residents from El Salvador who have lived here legally for years – residents who contribute to our economy, attend our schools and universities, and help us build safer, stronger neighborhoods. Ending TPS for El Salvador will have devastating impacts by tearing families apart.”
On January 8, 2018, the Trump Administration announced its decision to revoke TPS for El Salvador. Since then, through partnerships with Immigrant Justice Legal Services grantees, the Bowser Administration has been supporting Salvadoran residents as they navigate next steps.