The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese nationals, a designation that has shielded them from deportation for over a decade, CBS News reported Wednesday, citing DHS officials.
The proposal is expected to be made public later this week, with the policy set to take effect in January. Nationals from South Sudan would have a 60-day grace period to leave the United States before facing deportation.
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TPS is a humanitarian programme that provides temporary legal status and work permits to migrants from countries affected by war, natural disasters, or other crises. South Sudan has experienced repeated violent conflicts since gaining independence in 2011, including a civil war from 2013 to 2018 that left some 400,000 people dead. A recent U.N.-backed report described food insecurity and malnutrition in the country as “extremely high.”
The move comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to end TPS protections for nationals from several countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua, and to impose limits on refugee admissions. DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
