Rubio Cancels All South Sudanese Visas Amid Deportation Dispute
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that the U.S. is revoking all visas currently held by citizens of South Sudan and suspending the approval of any new ones.
According to a statement shared on X, Rubio said the decision was due to “the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.”
In a separate message, the State Department made it clear that South Sudan must “stop taking advantage” of the United States.
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States,” the department said. “Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them.”
The department noted it would “be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation.”
The situation in South Sudan remains dire, with the country facing escalating violence, mass displacement, and an increasingly severe food shortage, as reported by Fox News.
This move comes after years of debate over immigration policies. Under the Biden-Harris administration, millions entered the U.S. from across the globe, often with minimal screening. Meanwhile, Democrats have opposed the Trump-era deportation approach.
Back on April 22, 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations, including visa and passport services, amid regional instability. This visa suspension for South Sudan follows the Trump administration’s February move to rescind deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans residing in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had previously announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 individuals.
Since returning to office, President Trump has prioritized immigration enforcement. DHS figures cited by the New York Post indicate that more than 100,000 undocumented individuals have been deported.
“Sources said it shows that Trump is keeping his promise to boot illegal migrants, alleged gangbangers and suspected terrorists from the United States,” according to The Post. “He’s doing what he was voted in to do. Point blank!” an ICE insider told the outlet.
The exact number of detainees who are convicted criminals or the status of their removal proceedings remains unknown, but many are reportedly being deported to Mexico.
President Trump acted quickly on immigration after being sworn in again—declaring a border emergency, deploying more troops, ending asylum access for unauthorized crossers, and initiating mass deportations.
Since then, ICE has reportedly “maxed out” its detention capacity and has urged Congress to approve more funding to continue the large-scale removal campaign, which has already led to 32,000 arrests in just 50 days.
Trump has also expanded efforts against international criminal gangs. Citing the Alien Enemies Act—an 18th-century wartime law—his administration deported suspected Venezuelan gang members directly to a high-security prison in El Salvador, bypassing trial.
Seventeen alleged affiliates of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 were flown to El Salvador on Sunday night in restraints, despite a recent federal court ruling against the use of the Alien Enemies Act.
At the same time, unauthorized border crossings have plunged to their lowest levels in decades, with DHS sources attributing this trend to what they describe as “the Trump effect.”
“Illegal entries into the United States are no longer a backdoor way to getting status,” a DHS source stated.