The Priest Preparing to Care for 31 Children If ICE Detains Their Parents

Rev. Vidal Rivas, an Episcopal priest in Maryland, has pledged to care for up to 31 children if their parents are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The children, mostly from El Salvador, have been staying with Rivas while their parents are detained. Rivas, who has served at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church for nearly two decades, has been encouraging families to name him as their standby guardian since 2017, anticipating the potential end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans.

Maryland's laws allow parents to designate a standby guardian, who takes temporary custody of their children for up to six months, with the possibility of extension. TPS provides protection to immigrants from countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. The Trump administration has recently ended TPS for several groups, including Haitians, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans, raising concerns that El Salvador could be next.

Rivas and his wife have become close to the families involved, feeling like grandparents to the children. The uncertainty surrounding TPS has left many Salvadorans in fear, impacting their livelihoods and stability.