Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the revocation of South Sudanese student and visitor visas, accusing the country’s transitional government of not accepting repatriated citizens deported by the Trump administration. This move marks the first time the Trump administration has targeted passport holders of a specific country. Rubio stated that countries must accept the return of their citizens promptly when another country seeks to remove them. As a result, the U.S. will not issue visas to South Sudanese passport holders to prevent their entry. The Biden administration had granted South Sudanese nationals Temporary Protected Status, which is set to expire in May 2023.
The announcement comes amidst concerns of a potential return to civil war in South Sudan. Mediators from the African Union are in the country for talks to prevent a new conflict, following the placement of First Vice President Riek Machar under house arrest. Machar, a rival of President Salva Kiir, led rebel forces during a war from 2013-2018 that resulted in numerous casualties. Kiir’s government has accused Machar of inciting a new rebellion. The situation remains tense as South Sudanese nationals in the U.S. under the TPS program face uncertainty about their future.
