A mother returns after four months

When a Salvadoran mother was released from ICE detention in Maryland, her young children didn't recognize her at first. During her absence, Episcopal priest Vidal Rivas and his wife cared for them as temporary guardians.

One priest, 31 children waiting

Rivas, 62, has agreed to be standby guardian for 29 other children whose parents fear arrest, plus two more families making similar arrangements. He feels the weight of the responsibility deeply.

“"I feel a lot of responsibility, and a very heavy weight."”

What standby guardianship does

Under Maryland law, parents can name a standby guardian who automatically becomes the child's legal guardian for six months if immigration authorities arrest them. The arrangement can be extended with a judge's approval.

States adopt guardianship protections

Maryland was among the first to revise guardianship laws during Trump's first term to prevent detained immigrants' children from entering foster care. Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, California, Nevada, and Washington D.C. have since passed similar laws.

Salvadorans fear TPS will end

Nearly all of Rivas's families are Salvadoran and have Temporary Protected Status. The Trump administration has already ended TPS for Haitians, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans, fueling fears El Salvador could be next.

TPS status remains uncertain

In early September, the Department of Homeland Security said Salvadorans under TPS would retain protection for now, but gave no timeline. Reports emerged of Salvadorans losing jobs amid confusion over their immigration status.

El Salvador offers no safe return

More than 27 percent of El Salvador's population lives below the poverty line. The country has the world's highest imprisonment rate, and President Nayib Bukele's aggressive gang crackdown has drawn human rights concerns.

Rivas survived El Salvador's civil war

Rivas grew up during El Salvador's 1979 military coup and decade-long civil war. As a Catholic priest advocating for human rights, he was detained, beaten, and hospitalized before fleeing to the U.S. in 1998.

From witness to action

After joining St. Matthews Episcopal Church in 2008, Rivas watched parishioners cry over fears of separation from their children. He converted to the Episcopalian Church and began encouraging families to name him as their standby guardian.

Community steps up to help

Rivas has received overwhelming support from his congregation and other churches. Donors have given clothes and toys, and other organizations are helping parents with standby guardianship arrangements.

A moral obligation he won't abandon

Rivas acknowledges that caring for dozens of children at once would be enormous. But he sees it as a moral obligation and plans to open a church bank account for donations to cover childcare costs.

“"I'm going to keep doing it as much as I can."”