Why It Matters
The status of more than 170,000 Salvadorans living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) remains unresolved as Congress weighs competing pressures over the Trump administration's deepening security partnership with El Salvador. A new Congressional Research Service report documents a bilateral relationship that has strengthened under President Donald Trump even as critics in Congress have introduced legislation to restrict it.
On Sept. 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said an announcement on El Salvador's TPS would come "at the appropriate time" and that Salvadorans under TPS retained protection, including work authorization, until then. CRS reported no further official announcement by the report's Oct. 6 publication date. Remittances from the United States accounted for nearly 96% of total estimated remittances El Salvador received from abroad in 2025, according to CRS.
The Big Picture
President Nayib Bukele and his New Ideas party have incrementally consolidated power across El Salvador's executive, legislative, and judicial branches since 2019. Constitutional amendments enacted since 2025 permit indefinite presidential reelection, extend presidential terms from five to six years, and eliminate constitutionally required funding for the judicial branch. In July, New Ideas nominated Bukele for a third presidential term; the next election is scheduled for February 2027.
Human rights and democracy organizations argue the changes have weakened checks and balances, while Bukele's supporters say they empower voters. A May poll found nearly 88% approved of Bukele's performance, according to the Instituto Universitario de Opinión Pública. More than 92,000 people had been detained under the state of exception as of June. A local human rights group estimated at least 570 people had died in Salvadoran prisons as of September.
Despite concerns about democratic and human rights violations, bilateral cooperation has expanded under the Trump administration. This includes an arrangement to house immigrants deported from the United States who are alleged to have ties to terrorist organizations in Salvadoran prisons. The administration has designated MS-13 and Barrio 18 as foreign terrorist organizations.
Congressional proposals include H.R. 4001, which would prohibit certain U.S. funding for Salvadoran prisons, and S. 2058 and H.R. 6878, which would impose sanctions and restrict assistance. In May 2025, the Senate rejected a motion to discharge S.Res. 195, seeking a State Department human rights report, 45-50.
The Bottom Line
CRS identifies TPS, foreign assistance, prison funding, and sanctions as issues before Congress. H.R. 10297 would require an 18-month TPS designation for El Salvador but has not advanced beyond referral to committee.
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