Episcopal Priest Rev. Vidal Rivas Prepares To Standby Guard for 31 Children of Immigrant Parents

Rev Vidal Rivas is preparing to act as standby guardian for 31 children of immigrant parents in Hyattsville, Maryland. (Representational image) (Credit: Marek Studzinski/Unsplash)

In the quiet suburban enclave of Hyattsville, Maryland, Episcopal priest Rev. Vidal Rivas is shouldering a profound and deeply emotional burden as the designated standby guardian for 31 children of immigrant parents.

Amid mounting anxieties over aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions and the precarious future of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadoran nationals under the Trump administration, the 62-year-old cleric is stepping forward to prevent vulnerable families from being shattered.