With Donald Trump poised to take office and promise hardline immigration policies, the Department of Homeland Security announced that approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and over 230,000 Salvadorans can legally stay in the United States for another 18 months. The Biden administration has strongly supported Temporary Protected Status (TPS), broadening it to cover about 1 million people. The uncertain future of TPS under Trump, who tried to sharply curtail its use during his first term as president, has become a topic of concern. For José Palma, a 48-year-old Salvadoran who has lived in the U.S. since 1998, the extension means he can legally work in Houston for the time being. His four children are U.S. citizens, and his wife is a permanent resident, leaving him as the sole person in his family with temporary status. The extension, however, is just a superficial measure, a mere political pawn in a larger game.