Salvadorans and other 'temporary' immigrants weigh what's next after the U.S. withdraws welcome mat

CHICAGO - More than two decades after he fled civil war in his native El Salvador, Mauro Navarro doesn't want to give up on his claim to the American Dream.

Navarro, 45, has been shielded from deportation through temporary protected status, a federal program for immigrants who were unable to return to their countries because of armed conflicts, environmental disasters or other "extraordinary and temporary conditions."

But as with many who signed up for temporary status, Navarro's stay turned out not to be temporary. He built a life in the United States for 25 years - only to be told that it's time for him to go home.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen announced in January that the program for El Salvador would be phased out by Sept. 9, 2019. Salvadorans have until March 19 to re-register and renew