Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that the United States is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and will not issue new visas, citing South Sudan’s refusal to accept its nationals being deported from the US.
Rubio stated that this action is necessary because the South Sudanese transitional government is “taking advantage of the United States.”
He emphasized that all countries must promptly accept their citizens when another country seeks to deport them.
This move marks the first time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House that the US has implemented such a measure against all passport holders from a specific country.
Rubio indicated that the US will reconsider this decision once South Sudan fully cooperates with the repatriation process.
South Sudan, a relatively new and impoverished nation, is experiencing political instability, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of the civil war that caused significant casualties from 2013 to 2018.
The Trump administration’s decision comes as the “temporary protected status” (TPS) granted by the previous Biden administration to South Sudanese nationals is set to expire on May 3, 2025.
The TPS program protects foreign citizens from deportation due to unsafe conditions in their home countries.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 133 South Sudanese individuals are currently under TPS in the US, with another 140 eligible to apply.
The Trump administration has recently begun revoking TPS designations, notably attempting to end protection for over 600,000 Venezuelans, a decision that was temporarily halted by a federal judge.
As of March 2024, there were 1.2 million people in the US eligible for or receiving TPS, with Venezuelans comprising the largest group.
This decision also comes amid an increase in Africans attempting to enter the US via its southern border, as an alternative to the more dangerous routes to Europe.
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