The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of South Sudan, a move that has sparked strong reactions from immigration advocates and international observers alike. The program, which has shielded South Sudanese nationals from deportation since the country’s independence in 2011, was most recently extended by the Biden administration due to what it described as an “ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crisis.” Now, with a notice posted in the Federal Register, South Sudanese citizens have been given 60 days to leave the United States, a deadline that has left many scrambling for answers and support.
TPS, first authorized for South Sudanese nationals by the Obama administration, was established to offer temporary refuge to individuals whose home countries are considered unsafe due to civil unrest or natural disasters. According to DHS estimates, about 230 South Sudanese currently live and work in the U.S. under this status. The most recent extension came after the Biden administration determined that nationals could not safely return home due to the dire conditions in South Sudan. However, with the expiration of the country’s designation on Monday, November 3, 2025, and the new directive from DHS, these individuals now face an uncertain future.
The rationale behind the decision, as detailed in the Federal Register and echoed by DHS officials, is rooted in their assessment that South Sudan has not returned to “full scale” civil war, despite persistent violence and instability. The department noted the South Sudanese government’s willingness to cooperate with deportations as a “compelling foreign policy reason” for the policy change. In the official filing, DHS wrote, “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.”
Administration officials have pointed to what they describe as “renewed peace in South Sudan” and “improved diplomatic relations” as justification for ending TPS. A spokesperson for DHS stated, “Under the previous administration, Temporary Protected Status was abused to allow violent terrorists, criminals and national security threats into our nation. T.P.S. was never designed to be permanent.” The spokesperson’s remarks reflect a broader push by the Trump administration to roll back temporary deportation protections for migrants from several countries, including Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Syria, and Venezuela.
Yet, the decision has not gone unchallenged. Immigration advocates and humanitarian organizations have decried the move, arguing that conditions in South Sudan remain perilous and that the risk of returning is unacceptably high. The New York Immigration Coalition, representing more than 200 immigrant and refugee groups, released a statement condemning the decision as “cruel and heartless.” They emphasized, “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.”
Critics have also pointed to recent warnings from the United Nations, which has highlighted escalating armed clashes and deepening food insecurity in parts of South Sudan. The UN’s assessment runs counter to the DHS’s assertion of renewed peace, suggesting that the country’s fragile stability could be upended by the return of hundreds of nationals now facing deportation. The humanitarian situation, as described by the UN, is dire: widespread displacement, ethnic polarization, and food shortages threaten the wellbeing of millions.
The TPS program’s origins for South Sudan date back to 2011, when the country gained independence after decades of civil war. The Obama administration authorized TPS for South Sudanese nationals, citing ongoing armed conflict as the primary reason. Despite a peace agreement signed in 2018, violence and instability have persisted. The program has been extended multiple times by successive administrations, reflecting the international community’s recognition of the challenges facing South Sudan.
For many South Sudanese in the United States, TPS has provided not just legal status, but a lifeline—a way to work, support families, and build a future free from the violence that continues to plague their homeland. The abrupt termination of these protections, critics say, thrusts these individuals into legal limbo, with few options for remaining in the country or safely returning home. “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 stated.
The broader context of the decision reveals a pattern of restrictive immigration policies under the Trump administration. In recent years, federal officials have ended other temporary programs that allowed hundreds of thousands of migrants to live and work lawfully in the United States, including a Biden-era program for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Each of these moves has drawn criticism from advocates who argue that the U.S. is failing to uphold its humanitarian obligations.
Officials at DHS maintain that TPS was always intended as a temporary solution, not a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. “T.P.S. was never designed to be permanent,” the DHS spokesperson reiterated, underscoring the administration’s view that the program has been overextended. Supporters of the policy change argue that improved conditions in South Sudan and the government’s willingness to cooperate with U.S. authorities justify the move, suggesting that continued protection is no longer warranted.
Still, the reality on the ground in South Sudan remains fraught with uncertainty. Border disputes, ethnic tensions, and sporadic outbreaks of violence continue to disrupt daily life. The United Nations and other international agencies have sounded the alarm about the potential for renewed conflict and worsening humanitarian crises if stability does not hold. For the approximately 230 South Sudanese nationals now facing deportation, the prospect of returning to such conditions is daunting.
The debate over TPS for South Sudanese nationals encapsulates the broader struggle over U.S. immigration policy—balancing national security, foreign policy, and humanitarian concerns in a rapidly changing global landscape. As the 60-day countdown begins, affected individuals, advocacy groups, and policymakers are left to grapple with the consequences of a decision that will shape the lives of hundreds and reverberate far beyond America’s borders.
For those caught in the middle, the coming weeks will be filled with uncertainty and difficult choices, as the nation once again confronts the complex intersection of immigration, humanitarian need, and foreign policy priorities.