More Salvadorans are seeking to stay in the United States
                                      under emergency temporary residency than expected by the
                                      U.S. government, a U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
                                      Service spokesman said last week.

                                      When President George W. Bush announced in March that
                                      undocumented immigrants from El Salvador could qualify for
                                      temporary protected status following the devastating
                                      earthquakes in that Central American country in January,
                                      the INS said it expected about 150,000 to apply for the
                                      benefit.

                                      But as of last week, at least 161,454 had applied, said INS
                                      spokesman Dan Kane.