The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday on the Trump administration's decision to end deportation protections for immigrants from Haiti and Syria, but an estimated 200,000 Salvadorans who have lived in America for 25 years under the same program have the most at stake.

The case centers on Temporary Protected Status, which shields immigrants already in the country from deportation and grants work permits in 18-month increments when the Homeland Security secretary deems conditions unsafe for return. Former Trump Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated TPS for all 12 countries that came up for renewal during her tenure.

Wednesday's arguments focus specifically on Haiti and Syria, affecting 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. But the ruling will determine the fate of 1.3 million people from 17 countries designated with TPS when Trump took office — a number that more than doubled under Biden.

Salvadorans with TPS have lived legally in America since 2001, when two major earthquakes devastated the Central American nation and triggered special status. Most have American-born children and deep community roots.

José Urías exemplifies their dilemma. The 47-year-old Boston resident crossed from Mexico in 1994, worked delivering furniture and washing dishes before founding a construction company 18 years ago. His firm has built over 150 homes and employs three people directly while working with seven contractors who employ dozens more.

"Our life is based here, I have lived more of my life here than in El Salvador," Urías said. "It's like living out your American Dream, and then suddenly — just like that — being told your time is up, as if to say, 'We don't need you anymore,' and having someone try to cut away everything you've built."

Urías married another TPS beneficiary from El Salvador. They have two American sons, making deportation particularly wrenching for mixed-status families facing potential separation.

The legal challenge argues the Trump administration failed to properly assess conditions in Haiti and Syria when ending TPS and discriminated against non-white immigrants. El Salvador's TPS designation comes up for renewal September 9, leaving beneficiaries uncertain despite President Nayib Bukele's status as a key U.S. ally in the region.

Extending TPS would preserve remittance flows that Salvadoran families depend on, but few expect favors from the Trump administration. "It's not guaranteed, but it's not impossible either," Urías said, maintaining cautious optimism despite the uncertainty.

The Court's decision will clarify whether immigration officials must justify TPS terminations with updated country assessments and whether racial bias influenced the process — setting precedent for how America treats long-term residents from disaster-stricken nations.