Trump Administration ends protected status for South Sudanese nationals
Citizens of the African country have qualified for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since gaining independence in 2011
The flag of the Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that it will officially end protections against deportation for South Sudanese nationals. In a statement, the agency noted that while violence persists in the African country, it has not yet returned to a "full-scale" civil war, adding that the Sudanese government plans to cooperate with the deportations, creating "compelling foreign policy reasons" behind the decision.
"While there is inter/intra-communal violence linked to border disputes, cross-border violence, cyclical and retaliatory attacks, and ethnic polarization, return to full-scale civil war, to-date, has been avoided," the DHS wrote.
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The African country's citizens have qualified for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since gaining independence in 2011, last renewed by former President Joe Biden during his administration, which determined that South Sudanese nationals could not be returned to their country due to an "ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crisis."
Despite this, the notice published Wednesday in the U.S. Federal Register gives South Sudanese a 60-day deadline to leave the country, arguing that they no longer qualify for the program that prevents the deportation of those facing natural disasters or civil unrest.
Criticism of the decision
"At a time when South Sudan is mired in armed conflicts, mass displacement, and severe famine, it’s cruel and heartless to strip legal status from South Sudanese people living in America, especially since the conditions in their homeland make it impossible for them to return. The Trump administration is playing politics with their lives, forcing our neighbors into legal limbo and putting them at risk of deportation — even though they followed every legal requirement to remain in the United States," the New York Immigration Coalition said in a statement.
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