By Mari Verrecchia-DeLonde

Tomas Guevara thought he had everything when he finally arrived in the United States after leaving El Salvador in 1999 when he was just 18. Tomas traveled through Mexico for almost 2 years, making stops to do odd jobs so he could earn the money he needed to continue his journey. In 2001, Tomas finally reached the U.S. – Mexico border and swam across the Rio Grande River. Once he arrived on U.S. soil, he applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), an immigration benefit that permits nationals of select countries that have been impacted by natural disaster or armed conflict to live and work temporarily in the United States. Tomas qualified for temporary protected status due to Hurricane Mitch decimating much of El Salvador in 1998, leaving more than 10,000 people dead in its wake. He soon found his way to Maryland where he had relatives and began working in construction during the day and studying at night. He earned his high school equivalency diploma and went to school to become a plumber. As a licensed plumber he was making enough money to support his family in El Salvador. But he was missing one more piece to achieve his American dream: a family of his own.

Tomas was a regular at a local church and made a few friends. It was through these friends that he learned about a beautiful woman with a warm smile back in El Salvador, named Ruth. Ruth’s brothers were also Salvadoran immigrants living in the Washington D.C. area and they spoke highly of their sister to Tomas. They told Tomas how she was a hard worker, kind, devoted to her family and to her faith. They showed Tomas a picture of Ruth and he was immediately struck by her. Thomas soon called her, and the conversation evolved naturally. He could immediately tell she was sincere and they would talk for hours each night before they went to sleep. After 4 years of short visits and long conversations, Tomas was ready to propose and start their family. Tomas and Ruth were married in 2011 in San Salvador and had 3 months to spend time together before he had to return to the U.S. Tomas would then return every year to see his wife and she soon became pregnant. They decided that thy needed to be together to raise the family they both wanted.

Being pregnant and far from her husband took a toll on Ruth. Tomas was 3,000 miles away anxiously awaiting updates from her. In 2013, Ruth gave birth to their son Isaac in El Salvador. She would put the phone to Isaac’s ear during their calls so Isaac would know his dad’s voice. She would send pictures and videos every day, but it wasn’t enough. They needed to be together.

While back in Maryland, Tomas looked into ways to bring Ruth and Isaac to the U.S. He contacted the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Silver Spring for help and he learned about the Central American Minors program, which was established by the U.S. government in 2014 to allow the children of parents with TPS to apply for permanent residency as refugees. The news was even better, Tomas learned that Ruth was also eligible for the program because she was Isaac’s mother and his wife. As violence and crime in El Salvador escalated, Tomas knew time was of the essence and that he needed to get Ruth and Isaac to safety.

Tomas worked diligently to prepare a home, renting a bigger apartment and buying furniture, while they worked through the process of bringing Ruth and Isaac to Maryland. In the fall of 2016, Ruth and Isaac boarded their plane for their first trip to America with only a suitcase containing all their belongings. The moment was bittersweet for Ruth as she looked forward to starting her new life with her husband and son but had to leave everyone she knew behind in El Salvador. She quickly settled in to her new life in Maryland. She began taking English classes at a community college and found a job working with for a nonprofit organization helping people find jobs. Isaac adapted easily to life in the U.S, becoming a fan of “Paw Patrol” cartoons and playing outside. Their family also continued to grow when Ruth gave birth to their daughter, Rebecca, early last year. Everything was finally coming together.

Their comfortable new life was soon in jeopardy when the Trump administration announced in January of 2018 that the TPS program for people from El Salvador would end in September of 2019, unsettling the more than 200,000 Salvadorans who had moved to the U.S. since 2001. According to the new order, TPS holders will be forced to either return to El Salvador or be approved to stay in the U.S. through another immigration benefit. While the Trump administration’s revocation of the TPS program is being blocked by a federal judge, the administration is appealing that decision, leaving uncertainty and fear for all those affected.

Tomas and Ruth returned to the IRC in Silver Spring for help and Tomas was able to apply for permanent residency. For now, they are stuck waiting to hear if his application will be approved. If Thomas’ application for permanent residency is not approved, the family is unsure what they will do. They know of others from El Salvador living in the U.S. that have begun to sell their belongings as they prepare to move to Canada, because El Salvador is too violent and unstable for a safe return. That is not what Tomas and Ruth want. They want to remain in Maryland where their daughter was born, where their community has welcomed them, where they have begun building a new life. They want to achieve their American dream of buying a home in the Washington suburbs with a lush green lawn for their children to play outside with their friends. Tomas dreams of starting his own plumbing company and teaching others the trade. But for now, that is all a dream, as they wait to hear what their future holds in America.