Why Trump Is Pausing His Crackdown on Salvadoran Immigrants

About this episode

The New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer joins Tyler Foggatt to talk about Donald Trump’s decision to delay the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadoran immigrants. They discuss why the Administration, which has already terminated the T.P.S. designations of fourteen other countries, effectively opening up those communities to deportations, has yet to follow through on its promise to do the same for immigrants from El Salvador, and whether the decision was influenced by lobbyists from industries that rely on immigrant labor. They also discuss the tensions between the nativist wing of the Trump Administration and the pro-industry wing, and what Trump’s handling of T.P.S. reveals about how he makes decisions and exercises power in his second term. Does Trump’s unpredictability—and his susceptibility to being influenced even on his most deeply held beliefs—make his agenda more vulnerable to challenge? Recommended reading: “Why Trump Delayed Cancelling Legal Status for Salvadorans,” by Jonathan Blitzer “ICE Is Everywhere and Acting with Impunity,” by Jonathan Blitzer “The Quiet Unravelling of a Haitian Life in America,” by Ruby Cramer “The Great Dele