Bush Designates El Salvador for TPS After Earthquakes Kill 1,100

President George W. Bush designated El Salvador for Temporary Protected Status on March 2, 2001, after two major earthquakes in January and February killed more than 1,100 people and destroyed approximately 150,000 homes. The designation applied to Salvadoran nationals already present in the United States, allowing them to remain legally and work. El Salvador's TPS population eventually grew to approximately 195,000 — making it the largest single-country TPS designation in U.S. history.