The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is banned from stripping Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections away from close to 200 migrants from South Sudan on a temporary basis thanks to a ruling from a federal judge, The Hill reports.
The goal of the ruling from U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley of Massachusetts is to make sure migrants can stay stateside until the judge considers the case more fully.
“Because of the serious consequences at stake, both for the Plaintiffs and the Defendants, the Court finds an administrative stay appropriate, as it would ‘minimize harm,’ while allowing the assigned District Court Judge the time this case deserves,” Kelley wrote.
Kelley will issue a new decision after receiving written briefing through Jan. 13, The Hill reports.
The TPS program, which permits migrants to stay in the U.S. and receive work authorization if they come from a country experiencing turmoil, has been at the forefront of conversation since the Biden administration. South Sudan falls in that category. Africa’s youngest country has been so riddled with violence that the U.S. State Department issued an advisory against Americans traveling there.
Despite the travel advisory, in November, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced after a review of the country’s conditions, its TPS status would end after Jan. 5.
South Sudan, which joined the program in 2011 after gaining its independence, has close to 232 TPS recipients. According to Fox News, there are approximately 73 migrants from the country with pending applications, putting them at risk for deportation. The ruling, as a result of a lawsuit presented by African Communities Together and several South Sudanese TPS holders, claim without TPS, South Sudanese migrants would be ridded of their lawful status.
Source: Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration Move, Keeps Protections For South Sudan Migrants
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