- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese nationals, removing deportation protections, with a 60-day grace period before deportations begin in early January 2026.
- DHS justified the decision by citing improved stability in South Sudan, diplomatic progress with the U.S. Department of State, and UNMISS efforts to strengthen local police and justice systems.
- Humanitarian groups and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) criticized the move, arguing that South Sudan remains affected by violence, famine and political instability, making it unsafe for returnees.
- Approximately 5,000 South Sudanese nationals currently reside in the U.S., and advocates warn that ending TPS could put them at serious risk, highlighting concerns over America's treatment of refugees from conflict zones.
- TPS terminations have affected other countries as well, including Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua, some of which are being legally challenged, raising broader questions about the U.S.’s responsibility to migrants from unstable regions.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will end deportation protections for South Sudanese nationals, according to a notice published on Nov. 5 in the Federal Register. The move terminates Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan, a program that shielded nationals from deportation due to unsafe conditions in their home country.
Under the new policy, South Sudanese nationals will have a 60-day grace period to leave the U.S. before deportations begin in early January 2026. DHS said the country's designation had expired on Nov. 3 and that South Sudan no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS.
"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 department wrote in the filing.
The agency cited what it described as improved stability and diplomatic progress in South Sudan as justification for ending the program. DHS pointed to recent discussions between the U.S. Department of State and South Sudan's transitional government that "indicate South Sudan's willingness to ensure the safety and reintegration of its returning nationals." It added that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been assisting in strengthening the country's police and justice institutions, allowing the government to "further protect its own citizens."
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), according to BrightU.AI's Enoch, is a peacekeeping operation established in 2011 to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian aid and support the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. It is the largest UN peacekeeping mission globally, with a mandate renewed annually by the UN Security Council.
Humanitarian groups warn ending TPS for South Sudan could endanger thousands
TPS allows nationals from countries experiencing war, natural disasters or extraordinary instability to live and work legally in the United States. In recent years, nationals from Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and other nations have also faced the termination or scaling back of their TPS protections—some of which are currently being challenged in court.
Despite the DHS assessment, many humanitarian groups dispute claims that South Sudan is stable enough to safely receive returnees. The country has endured repeated cycles of violence since gaining independence in 2011, including a devastating civil war from 2013 to 2018 that killed an estimated 400,000 people. Widespread famine, armed clashes and political instability continue to affect large portions of the population.
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) strongly condemned the DHS decision, noting that approximately 5,000 South Sudanese nationals currently live in the United States.
"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 group said in a statement.
The coalition urged the Trump administration to reverse the decision and called on Congress to create permanent legal pathways for those who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years under temporary programs.
"We must uphold our country's longstanding humanitarian values, protect our immigrant families and keep our economy stable and our communities strong," the organization said.
Advocates warn that ending TPS for South Sudan could put thousands of individuals at risk if deportations proceed, underscoring the ongoing debate over America's responsibility toward refugees and migrants from conflict-torn regions.
Watch the video below that talks about Trump's mass deportation push and how it does not have to be "inhumane."
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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