Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Move to End TPS for South Sudanese Immigrants

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to end temporary protected status (TPS) for South Sudanese immigrants, allowing hundreds to continue living and working in the U.S. Civil rights groups challenged the move, citing potential racial discrimination and administrative violations, while DHS criticized the ruling. TPS protects immigrants from countries affected by conflict or disaster, and similar protections for other nationalities are also under threat.

Hundreds of South Sudanese immigrants in the United States may be allowed to live and work legally for now, as a federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s plan to end their temporary protected status (TPS). The program, which shields foreign nationals from deportation if their home countries are experiencing conflict or disaster, was set to terminate on January 6, 2026, putting roughly 300 South Sudanese nationals at risk.
Civil rights groups challenged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in late December, arguing that revoking TPS violated administrative procedures and was unconstitutional, claiming it aimed to reduce non-white and non-European immigrants in the U.S. on the basis of race. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts issued an order temporarily preventing deportations while the case is pending, citing the potentially “irreversible harm” to the East African migrants.
“These significant and far-reaching consequences not only deserve, but require, a full and careful consideration of the merits by the Court,” Kelley wrote.
DHS criticized the decision, calling it an overreach by the judiciary that undermines presidential authority. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed, without evidence, that peace in South Sudan has improved and that the country is ready for the return of its nationals. TPS requires applicants to already reside in the U.S. and pass extensive background checks and vetting. South Sudanese nationals were first granted the protection in 2011, as the country struggled with ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises.
The move to revoke TPS is part of a broader Trump-era effort to end protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, including Venezuelans, Haitians, and nationals from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma, Syria, Nicaragua, and Honduras, all of whom face uncertainty regarding their legal status in the U.S.