A coalition of immigrant rights advocates has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 200 South Sudanese nationals who have been living legally in the United States for over a decade.
The complaint, filed on Monday in a Boston federal court, was brought by four South Sudanese migrants and the advocacy group African Communities Together. It accuses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of acting unlawfully and endangering lives by moving to revoke deportation protections for individuals from one of the world’s most unstable nations.
The plaintiffs argue that the government’s decision—announced last month—would strip migrants of their right to live and work legally in the U.S. after January 5, when their protected status expires.
TPS is a humanitarian designation that grants temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to people from countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary crises.
Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination and Legal Violations
According to the lawsuit, the administration’s move violated federal law governing the TPS program by disregarding the continuing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. The filing also alleges that the policy was driven by racial discrimination, in violation of the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantees.
“This pattern reveals the administration’s true agenda: stripping protections from immigrant communities of color regardless of the dangers they face,” said Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together, in a statement.
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
South Sudan’s Ongoing Instability
South Sudan has endured repeated cycles of violence since its independence in 2011. A civil war that raged between 2013 and 2018 left an estimated 400,000 people dead, displaced millions, and devastated the nation’s economy and infrastructure.
The U.S. first designated South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status in 2011, recognizing the country’s instability and lack of safe return conditions. According to the lawsuit, roughly 232 South Sudanese nationals currently hold TPS, while another 73 applicants are awaiting approval.
Policy Shift and Broader Context
The challenge follows a November 5 announcement by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said South Sudan no longer met the criteria for TPS designation. The notice asserted that conditions in the country had improved sufficiently to allow safe repatriation.
The decision is part of a broader administration effort to roll back temporary protections for migrants from multiple countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua—a policy shift that has already triggered a series of court battles across the United States.
Critics say the policy reflects an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to restrict humanitarian relief and narrow immigration pathways, even for individuals fleeing war and instability.
Supporters of the change argue that TPS was never intended to be permanent and should end once a country’s conditions improve.
For the South Sudanese community, however, the lawsuit represents what could be a final attempt to retain their legal status and avoid returning to a nation still reeling from years of civil conflict, food insecurity, and fragile governance.
