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US Revokes All Visas for South Sudanese Passport Holders Over Deportation Dispute

The Trump administration cites South Sudan's refusal to accept deported citizens as tensions rise in the politically unstable nation.

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Sudanese refugees and ethnic South Sudanese who have fled the war in Sudan carry their belongings while boarding a boat at the shores of the White Nile River in the Port of Renk on February 14, 2024. The boats take hundreds of Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees daily to the city of Malakal in a journey that takes days.More than 550,000 people have now fled from the war in Sudan to South Sudan since the conflict exploded in April 2023, according to the United Nations. South Sudan, that has itself recently come out of decades of war, was facing a dire humanitarian situation before the war in Sudan erupted and it is feared to not have the resources to host displaced people. The war-torn country of Sudan is currently ravaged by internal fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
South Sudan soldiers patrol the street in Juba, South Sudan on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Overview

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the immediate revocation of all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, halting future issuance until the country complies with US deportation policies.
  • The visa ban is the first sweeping measure targeting all passport holders from a specific country during Trump's second term, reflecting his administration's intensified immigration enforcement strategy.
  • South Sudan's government has not responded to the US decision, which comes as the country faces growing fears of renewed civil war following the detention of opposition leader Riek Machar.
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese nationals in the US is set to expire on May 3, 2025, potentially leaving affected individuals without legal protections.
  • International mediators, including the United Nations and African Union, are working to prevent a return to widespread conflict in South Sudan as political and ethnic tensions escalate.