Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) led a group of 19 Members of Congress in urging President Joe Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to extend and redesignate South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), safeguarding the lives of both current TPS holders and South Sudanese who have arrived in the United States since the last redesignation in 2022. TPS status for South Sudan is set to expire on November 3, 2023. South Sudan is currently experiencing intensifying violent conflict, food scarcity, and instability further exacerbated by the recent war in Sudan, all of which qualify South Sudan for an extension and redesignation of TPS.

“Given the current conditions in South Sudan, the maximum protection of an 18-month extension and redesignation is vital to safeguard the lives of both current TPS holders and South Sudanese individuals who have arrived in the United States since the last redesignation in 2022,” Pingree and the Members wrote.

“The U.S. should strive to provide safe haven to vulnerable populations, and not return individuals to countries where their lives or freedom would be at risk. Returning individuals to South Sudan would endanger their personal safety,” they continued. “The Biden administration has stated that championing America’s values and human rights is one of its top priorities. We believe that allowing South Sudanese individuals to stay in the U.S. would demonstrate our commitment to human rights and provide them with the stability and safety they would not experience in South Sudan.” 

The Secretary of Homeland Security may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country's nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately. 

Currently, there are 16 countries designated for TPS: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Following a similar push by Pingree and 34 of her Congressional Colleagues in February 2022, the Department of Homeland Security extended TPS for South Sudan on March 2, 2022. 

Full text of the letter is available here and copied below. 

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Dear President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas, 

We are writing you today regarding the urgent need to extend and redesignate South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is set to expire on November 3, 2023. South Sudan is currently experiencing intensifying violent conflict, food scarcity, and instability further exacerbated by the recent war in Sudan. Given the current conditions in South Sudan, the maximum protection of an 18-month extension and redesignation is vital to safeguard the lives of both current TPS holders and South Sudanese individuals who have arrived in the United States since the last redesignation in 2022. Additionally, the timely publication of a Federal Register Notice with at least a 180-day registration period is necessary for current TPS holders and those who would benefit under redesignation. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last extended TPS for South Sudan on March 2, 2022. Five years after the civil war ended, the fragile peace process in South Sudan has been undermined by escalating violent conflict fueled by increasing civilian access to arms and ammunition.  According to the United Nations, over two thirds of the population currently need humanitarian assistance.  Additionally, loss of arable land due to four years of record flooding and extensive contamination by explosive hazards has contributed to increased food scarcity throughout the country.  

South Sudan is experiencing the third largest refugee crisis in the world and the largest on the African continent with roughly 2.3 million South Sudanese who have fled to neighboring countries and approximately 2.2 million who are internally displaced in South Sudan.  Further complicating the crisis, approximately 200,000 people have fled Sudan to South Sudan since April 2023, straining already limited government resources.  If the war in Sudan disrupts critical oil pipelines, the South Sudanese economy could be thrown into crisis as oil accounts for 70 percent of South Sudan’s gross domestic product.  

Given the current conditions in South Sudan, we believe that an extension and redesignation of TPS is warranted. The U.S. should strive to provide safe haven to vulnerable populations, and not return individuals to countries where their lives or freedom would be at risk. Returning individuals to South Sudan would endanger their personal safety. The Biden administration has stated that championing America’s values and human rights is one of its top priorities. We believe that allowing South Sudanese individuals to stay in the U.S. would demonstrate our commitment to human rights and provide them with the stability and safety they would not experience in South Sudan.

We strongly urge you to extend and redesignate South Sudan for Temporary Protected Status in addition to publishing the Federal Register Notice in a timely manner. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your response. 

Sincerely,  

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