Africa-Press. A federal judge blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from ending temporary protection from deportation, which allowed hundreds of South Sudanese nationals to live and work in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Patti Saris found that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likely acted unlawfully by offering “weak” reasons for terminating South Sudan’s designation for temporary protected status (TPS), and by failing to disclose the real reason behind the move.
TPS is granted to people whose countries have faced natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions. It provides migrants with work authorization and temporary protection from deportation.
In November, Noem issued a notice ending South Sudan’s TPS designation, citing the conflict-hit country as “no longer meeting the requirements” for the status, which was first granted in 2011.
Other countries
Judge Saris said the notice did not state “the real reason” for Noem’s decision—namely that she was following a “predetermined pattern and practice” of ending TPS designations for all countries.
She noted that the Department of Homeland Security, since Noem took office, has moved to terminate TPS designations for eleven other countries, including Haiti, Venezuela, and Ethiopia.
She added: “Most likely, no country will pass the test, no matter how dire its conditions.”
In response, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the ruling was “another unlawful and activist order from the federal judiciary,” which she said continues to strip the president of his constitutional authority.
The ruling was issued in a lawsuit filed by a group of South Sudanese nationals and a civil society organization focused on African rights.
Conflict in South Sudan has persisted since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011, and fighting continues in many parts of the country despite the end of a five-year civil war in 2018 that killed about 400,000 people.
According to the lawsuit, about 232 South Sudanese nationals have benefited from TPS and sought refuge in the United States, while applications from 73 others remain under review.
Similar lawsuits have resulted in rulings blocking the termination of TPS for people from countries such as Haiti, Syria, and Myanmar.
