US Cancels Visas for South Sudanese Nationals Over Deportation Dispute

In a dramatic move, the United States has announced the immediate revocation of visas for all South Sudanese passport holders, following a dispute with the African nation over the deportation of its citizens.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed the decision on Saturday, explaining that South Sudan’s government had failed to accept the return of citizens who had been deported from the US.

Rubio’s statement made clear that the US would also block any South Sudanese nationals arriving at American ports of entry.

He placed the blame squarely on the “failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.”

“This is a clear message that the United States will not tolerate any country refusing to take back its citizens,” Rubio said.

He underscored the importance of countries upholding their responsibilities when it comes to the repatriation of nationals, referencing the cornerstone of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, which focused on mass deportations.

The tension between the US and South Sudan has escalated amid fears that the country may be on the brink of renewed civil war.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has been plagued by internal conflict since 2013, with a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar triggering a devastating civil war.

Though a 2018 peace deal halted large-scale fighting, the situation remains unstable, with sporadic violence continuing to affect various parts of the country.

In early March, the US ordered non-emergency staff to leave South Sudan as regional fighting threatened to derail the fragile peace agreement.

Meanwhile, South Sudanese nationals in the US have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), allowing them to stay temporarily in the country.

This status was set to expire by May 3, 2025, and it is unclear how the current visa cancellation will affect those under TPS.

The move also comes amid growing concerns over the impact on South Sudanese individuals in the US. One such individual, 18-year-old Khaman Maluach, a standout basketball player at Duke University, is currently in the US on a student visa.

Maluach, who played for the South Sudanese national basketball team at the Tokyo Olympics, has spent much of his life as a refugee in Uganda due to the violence in his homeland.

Duke University responded to the announcement, saying it was aware of the visa situation and was urgently assessing the potential impact on its South Sudanese students.

The US decision adds to the already strained diplomatic tensions surrounding deportations, with other nations, such as Colombia, having recently pushed back against US deportation policies.

In January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro blocked two US military flights carrying deported migrants, though he later relented after pressure from the Trump administration, which promised heavy tariffs and sanctions.