Nina Alvarez, CBS Assistant Professor of International Journalism, Releases "Almost American" Documentary

With reporting partner Caterina Barbera-Kipreos, '18 M.S. Documentary, Alvarez obtained nearly 50 hours of videotaped depositions, interviewed dozens of government sources and reviewed over 20,000 pages of internal DHS documents.

The result? A rare behind-the-scenes look at how those who claim to be committed to the rule of law are willing to set it aside to achieve their goals.

Learn more about the project below, and watch "Almost American" on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App. Directed by Nina Alvarez.

In 2018, the Department of Homeland Security abruptly revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those from six countries, comprising almost all TPS holders — foreign nationals from countries beset by civil unrest, violence, or natural disasters who are permitted lawful residence in the United States. The majority of those affected were from El Salvador, a country plagued by violence, the aftermath of a civil war, and a devastating earthquake.

The decision to terminate TPS status, which is reviewed every 18 months, left thousands of American families on the brink of a separation crisis since many TPS holders have lived in the U.S. for decades and now have American-born children.

“Almost American” follows the Ayala Flores family, who have lived and worked in the nation’s capital for 20 years, sheltered by the TPS status first granted in 2001. Like her parents, the family’s oldest daughter, Maria, was born in El Salvador but the younger children, born in the U.S., are American citizens. The termination of TPS status threatens to separate the family.

Reluctantly, the Ayala Flores family joins a class-action lawsuit, Ramos V. Neilsen, to halt the termination of TPS. The suit argues that the administration’s restrictive view of the TPS laws was unconstitutional as it was adopted to further the administration’s anti-immigrant agenda. Through surprisingly frank interviews with elected officials and former State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials, VOCES “Almost American” documents how hard-line immigration sentiment brought about the termination, against the recommendation of many longtime immigration officials.

The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, but the government appealed the decision and, in September 2020, the verdict was reversed, leaving the termination of TPS status in place. In 2023, protection for the TPS holders was reinstated. The Ayala Flores family and hundreds of thousands of others will see their TPS up for review again in 2025, under the next president.

VOCES “Almost American” will stream on PBS.org and the PBS app.