The U.S. is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders under orders from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the African nation’s government is “taking advantage of the United States.”
South Sudan had failed to respect the principle that every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the US, seeks to remove them, Rubio outlined in a statement.
“Effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders,” Rubio said.“We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation,” Rubio said.
It is time for the oil-rich east African transitional government to “stop taking advantage of the United States”, he said.
So, there's a coup going on in Sudan... pic.twitter.com/0PwEb3SwWw
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) March 21, 2025
South Sudanese nationals had been granted “temporary protected status” (TPS) by the administration of Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, with the designation set to expire on May 3, 2025.
AP reports last week, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged regional and international leaders to prevent South Sudan from falling “over the abyss” into yet another brutal civil war.
Guterres warned the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries is facing “a security emergency” with intensifying clashes and a “political upheaval” culminating with last week’s arrest by the government of First Vice President Riek Machar.
South Sudan gained its status as an independent republic in July 2011 after over 20 years of internal bloodshed.
The optimism that greeted the country’s birth after it seceded from Sudan was shattered in 2013 when political disagreement within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) plunged the country into conflict.
The internal power struggle triggered political, inter-ethnic and inter-communal violence, which has continued ever since.
South Sudanese in the U.S. were previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows them to remain in the U.S. for a set period of time.
TPS for South Sudanese in the U.S. had been due to expire by 3 May.
