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The United States government has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese nationals, ending over ten years of deportation relief for individuals who fled the country’s prolonged conflict.
In a notice issued Wednesday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) declared that the current conditions in South Sudan no longer meet the statutory requirements necessary for TPS designation. The agency’s review concluded that South Sudan is no longer experiencing the level of armed conflict that would pose a “serious threat to the personal safety” of citizens returning there.
Under the new directive, South Sudanese nationals currently covered under TPS have 60 days to depart the United States, after which deportations will begin in January. The USCIS further stated that individuals who voluntarily depart using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) mobile app may qualify for certain incentives, including a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential eligibility for future legal immigration opportunities.
The TPS program, established to offer temporary refuge and work authorization to foreign nationals from countries experiencing severe instability or disasters, was initially extended to South Sudanese citizens in 2011 during the Obama administration, following the outbreak of violent conflict shortly after the country gained independence. Since then, the designation has been renewed multiple times but officially expired on Monday, affecting approximately 232 individuals.
This policy shift forms part of a broader move by the Trump administration to scale back legal protections for migrants. Similar terminations have impacted nationals from Cameroon, Haiti, and Nepal, sparking widespread concern among human rights groups and immigration advocates. Critics warn that ending TPS for South Sudanese migrants could force them to return to unsafe and unstable conditions.
Despite the 2018 peace agreement that brought an end to the devastating civil war that killed more than 400,000 people and displaced nearly half the population, South Sudan remains fragile. Observers point to continued political unrest, ethnic rivalries, and the recent arrest and prosecution of Vice President Riek Machar as indicators that the country’s stability is precarious.
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Just last week, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan cautioned that ongoing power struggles, intercommunal violence, and unresolved grievances could ignite another wave of widespread conflict, threatening the fragile peace South Sudan has struggled to maintain. In light of these warnings, humanitarian organizations are urging the U.S. to reconsider its decision, emphasizing that conditions in South Sudan remain too volatile for safe returns.
