I’m an essential worker, and without Temporary Protected Status, I could be deported

Most of us, no matter where we come from, work hard for our families.

I was here visiting my family from Nicaragua when Hurricane Mitch and the subsequent floods destroyed much of my country in 1998. Thanks to the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which allows people to legally live and work in the United States due to war or natural disaster at home, I have been able to work legally and contribute to this country for more than 20 years.

Together with my three brothers and sister-in-law, we built a life together. After our parents died, we were all we had. We do everything together — go to the beach, to church, even to our doctor’s appointments. Two years ago, our oldest brother died of cancer, which made the surviving members of our family love and appreciate each other all the more.

But now, Donald Trump wants to deport me and tear thousands of families like mine apart.

I live a simple but honest and productive life as a janitor at Nova Southeastern University. The students and teachers trust me to keep the classrooms and offices sanitized, an especially important responsibility during the pandemic. I have asthma, and I know that I’m vulnerable to this disease, but the work has to be done. And I take great pride in the fact that I’m doing my part to stop the spread of the coronavirus in my community.

I volunteer in my community and have helped other immigrants apply for their citizenship. Through my union, I have fought to raise standards for other working people — no matter where they come from. I’ve picketed with striking workers and helped win a living wage for thousands of Fort Lauderdale airport workers, putting millions of dollars back into the local economy.

And now, during the COVID19 pandemic, I’m one of the more than 130,000 essential workers with TPS who have been risking our lives going to work every day as janitors, health care workers, security officers, retail employees and other service workers.

Immigrant workers are a large part of what has kept the economy going through these hard times.

There are almost 70,000 TPS recipients in Florida. We have raised families. We’ve built up our neighborhoods. We’ve created jobs by starting small businesses. We work and pay taxes. In Florida alone, TPS recipients contribute $109 million in federal taxes and more than $81 million in state and local taxes.

Despite our contributions to this country, Trump has demonized immigrant communities. Many of us are terrified that at any moment, we can be separated from our families and deported, or sent to crowded, inhumane detention centers — more dangerous than ever in the face of COVID-19.

Last month, a federal court ruled in favor of the Trump Administration and reversed a court order that had previously stopped the termination of Temporary Protected Status for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. This means that if Trump is reelected, the Department of Homeland Security can deport me as soon as March 2021.

When I think of being separated from my two remaining brothers, who are citizens, I imagine that it would feel like a part of my heart is tearing away too.

I have always tried to be a strong person. And I’ve always tried to fight for my family and my community. But now, I feel myself falling into a pool of depression and fear of the political instability of my home country. I don’t know if I would survive.

I can’t vote, but many of you can. You have the ability to end this nightmare. Joe Biden wants to create a fair and humane immigration system and will extend protections for TPS and DACA recipients. Our families are a vital piece of this community and we deserve to stay together, without constantly looking over our shoulder or fearing a knock on our door.