The United States will allow thousands of Sudanese and Ukrainian nationals to retain their temporary immigration protections, federal authorities announced Monday, as their existing legal status approached expiration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from both countries would remain protected from deportation for the time being, despite their designations being scheduled to expire on October 19.
A DHS spokesperson said further decisions regarding the two nationalities would be announced at an appropriate time, without specifying when the administration would issue its next determination.
TPS allows eligible foreign nationals already residing in the United States to live and work legally when armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances make returning to their home countries unsafe.
Approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion have registered for the programme, while an estimated 6,800 Sudanese nationals currently hold TPS protections.
The decision provides temporary relief to Sudanese migrants as their homeland remains engulfed in a devastating conflict between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has displaced millions and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.
The announcement also marks another exception to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, which has targeted TPS protections granted to several nationalities.
In September, the administration permitted Salvadoran beneficiaries to retain their protected status after previously moving to terminate similar protections for nationals of Haiti, Venezuela, Somalia, Yemen and Syria, among others.
The decision concerning Ukrainians comes amid a shift in Washington’s approach toward Moscow, with Trump recently declining to impose additional sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine and easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports.
While Monday’s announcement ensures Sudanese and Ukrainian TPS holders can maintain their existing protections, it leaves their longer-term immigration status uncertain pending further decisions by US authorities.
