Temporary Protected Status (TPS): Policy Brief

Most TPS holders have been living, working, and contributing to the U.S. economy for many years

FWD.us analysis shows that many TPS holders have been in the United States for a very long time, having set down roots, pursuing careers, building families, and integrating into American communities and society. In fact, TPS holders from El Salvador and Honduras, who make up a significant share of the current TPS population, have lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years on average. FWD.us estimates that more than 410,000 U.S. citizen adults live in households with at least one current TPS holder, alongside some 390,000 U.S. citizen children.

Most adult TPS holders are in the labor force, many of them working in critical industries that struggle with persistent labor shortages. Some 830,000 TPS holders are working, including 130,000 in construction, 130,000 in wholesale and retail trade, 120,000 in leisure and hospitality, 110,000 in transportation, warehousing and utilities, 110,000 in business services, and 85,000 in manufacturing.

TPS holders annually contribute some $29 billion in wages to the national GDP. And while many live in states with very large immigrant populations like Florida, Texas, California, and New York, several other states–New Jersey, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina–are each home to thousands of TPS holders. Because TPS holders have established such deep roots, abruptly forcing them out of the workforce and country would impose harmful economic consequences on the U.S. as well.

FWD.us fact sheets provide more detailed estimates of economic and labor force impacts of TPS holders from El Salvador, Haiti, and Ukraine.