Pentecostal Bishops Gather in Washington to Urge Trump Administration to Protect Salvadoran Immigrants
Fifty Hispanic Pentecostal bishops met in Washington, D.C., on September 8 to push the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for roughly 170,000 Salvadoran immigrants. The group, organized by the Confraternity of Pentecostal Entities of the Americas, called the effort a pastoral response to suffering in their congregations.
Fifty Hispanic Pentecostal bishops and denominational leaders gathered at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill on September 8, 2026, to urge the Trump administration to extend Temporary Protected Status for Salvadoran nationals.
The meeting was organized by the Confraternity of Pentecostal Entities of the Americas, known as CEPA, a coalition launched in January 2026 that represents approximately 21,000 congregations across the United States and Latin America. The TPS program, which provided legal status and work authorization to about 170,000 Salvadorans who had lived in the U.S. since 2001, was set to expire on September 9.
CEPA leaders described the gathering as a pastoral effort, not a political one. They cited the suffering of congregants facing deportation and the impact on an estimated 150,000 U.S.-citizen children whose parents could lose legal status.
The group reported that 19 pastors and nearly 200 church members had been detained or deported under current enforcement policies. Leaders called for an end to what they described as indiscriminate deportations and asked that churches, schools, and hospitals be treated as sensitive spaces off-limits to immigration enforcement.
Bishop Juan Garcia requested a minimum two-year extension for Salvadoran TPS and also advocated for the reinstatement of protected status for Haitian immigrants.
The bishops invoked biblical teachings to frame their position. Their formal statement referenced Romans 13 but argued that civil authority has limits, stating that a righteous ruler does not terrorize those who do good.
The advocacy effort came amid complex political dynamics. While 64 percent of Hispanic Protestants reported voting for Donald Trump in 2024, many Pentecostal leaders expressed frustration with the administration's immigration enforcement. Bishop Victor Artreche said many leaders felt misled, having expected enforcement to focus on criminals rather than working families.
Following the meeting, federal officials indicated that Salvadorans would retain TPS temporarily while the administration reviewed its options.
