By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 05 November 2025 05:47 PM EST
The Department of Homeland Security has terminated protections for South Sudanese nationals living in the U.S., initiating a process that could lead to deportations starting next year. The decision, effective January 5, 2026, hinges on claims that South Sudan no longer faces an ongoing armed conflict posing serious threats to returning citizens.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that while intercommunal violence and border disputes persist, a full-scale civil war has been avoided. “Residual challenges from the civil war remain, but there is no longer an ongoing armed conflict,” the agency asserted in a Federal Register filing.
Temporary protected status (TPS), a U.S. humanitarian program for individuals from nations experiencing war or disaster, has been revoked for South Sudanese nationals. The move aligns with broader immigration restrictions under the Trump administration, which has sought to reduce legal status for migrants from multiple countries.
South Sudan has endured violent conflict since 2011, including a civil war between 2013 and 2018 that claimed 400,000 lives. A U.N.-backed report this week highlighted “extremely high” food insecurity in the country. Similar TPS revocations have affected nationals from Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua, though some cases remain unresolved in court.
The administration has also imposed record-low limits on refugee admissions. The New York Immigration Coalition condemned the policy as “cruel and heartless,” accusing the government of exploiting migrants’ legal status for political gain.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized ongoing efforts with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to broker a peace process in South Sudan, calling it a “complicated situation on the ground.”
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
