What You Need to Know
A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration’s decision to terminate temporary protection for South Sudanese citizens residing in the U.S. This ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by South Sudanese individuals and a human rights organization, preventing the deportation set to begin on January 5.
Africa. A federal judge in Boston has issued a ruling preventing the Trump administration from ending the temporary protection from deportation granted to South Sudanese citizens residing in the United States. This decision responds to an emergency request filed by several South Sudanese citizens alongside a human rights organization, freezing a decision that was set to take effect on January 5.
The temporary protection dates back to 2011 when South Sudanese citizens received this legal status following their country’s separation from Sudan amid complex security and humanitarian conditions. Since then, the status has been renewed multiple times due to ongoing armed conflicts, waves of displacement, and regional instability. This status allows beneficiaries to work legally in the United States and provides them with temporary protection from deportation.
In November, the Department of Homeland Security announced that South Sudan no longer met the criteria for temporary protection, citing what it described as “renewed peace” and a fragile 2018 agreement, as well as improved diplomatic relations. The department stated that it was time to end what was supposed to be a temporary status from the beginning.
However, these justifications clashed with recent UN reports, as UN experts confirmed in a report to the Security Council that humanitarian suffering in South Sudan remains despite changes in the nature of the conflict. The report noted ongoing fighting and airstrikes, as well as flooding and the influx of refugees from Sudan, leading to record levels of food insecurity, with pockets of famine reported in some areas.
This legal dispute is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration aimed at ending temporary protection for citizens from several countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua, which has sparked a series of legal challenges. The administration has also sought to deport individuals to African countries even if they have no ties to those nations, drawing widespread criticism from human rights groups.
Temporary protection for South Sudanese citizens in the U.S. was established in 2011 following the country’s independence from Sudan. This status has been renewed multiple times due to ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in the region. The protection allows beneficiaries to work legally in the U.S. and shields them from deportation.
