Article snippet: The Trump administration faces a Monday deadline on whether to extend protections that would allow nearly 200,000 Salvadorans to stay in the U.S. legally. Citizens of El Salvador are currently the beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status program, which provides humanitarian relief for foreigners whose countries are hit with natural disasters or strife. The administration ended the protections for citizens of Haiti and Nicaragua last year. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who is tasked with making the decision, told The Associated Press last week that short-term extensions are not the answer. "Getting them to a permanent solution is a much better plan than having them live six months, to 12 months to 18 months," she said in an interview, referring to the uncertainty of short-term extensions. A decision to force the Salvadorans back to their native country would send shivers through parts of Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and other metropolitan areas that are home to large numbers of Salvadorans, who have enjoyed special protection since earthquakes struck the Central American country in 2001. Many have established deep roots in the U.S., starting families and businesses over decades. Ending the protections would also represent a serious challenge for El Salvador, a country of 6.2 million people whose economy depends on remittances from wage-earners in the U.S. Over the last decade, growing numbers of Salvadorans - many coming ... Link to the full article to read more