Four South Sudanese nationals and the non-profit African Communities Together filed suit in Boston federal court, arguing that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted unlawfully when she terminated South Sudan’s Temporary Protected Status designation on 5 November. The complaint alleges DHS ignored ongoing civil-war violence and relied on racially discriminatory motives, breaching both the TPS statute and the Fifth Amendment’s equal-protection clause.
Roughly 232 South Sudanese TPS holders and another 73 applicants stand to lose work authorisation and deportation protection when the designation ends on 5 May 2026. Plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to maintain status while the case proceeds, echoing similar lawsuits filed on behalf of Haitian, Venezuelan and Syrian communities this year.
![South Sudanese migrants sue DHS over end of Temporary Protected Status]()
For U.S. firms employing South Sudanese engineers, healthcare workers and interpreters—many concentrated in the Midwest and oil-services hubs—the uncertainty complicates workforce planning. Employers may need to explore H-1B cap-exempt pathways, humanitarian parole or intra-company transfers to retain critical talent if the termination is upheld.
Organizations looking for practical support while they evaluate contingency options can turn to VisaHQ. The company’s U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers step-by-step guidance on humanitarian applications, employment-based visas, travel documentation and compliance monitoring, giving HR teams and individual applicants a streamlined way to stay ahead of shifting immigration rules.
Beyond South Sudan, the suit highlights the broader legal risk posed by DHS’s stepped-up reviews of TPS countries. Courts have already blocked several terminations since 2020, creating a patchwork of injunctions that mobility professionals must track closely when forecasting visa needs and project timelines.
Roughly 232 South Sudanese TPS holders and another 73 applicants stand to lose work authorisation and deportation protection when the designation ends on 5 May 2026. Plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to maintain status while the case proceeds, echoing similar lawsuits filed on behalf of Haitian, Venezuelan and Syrian communities this year.
For U.S. firms employing South Sudanese engineers, healthcare workers and interpreters—many concentrated in the Midwest and oil-services hubs—the uncertainty complicates workforce planning. Employers may need to explore H-1B cap-exempt pathways, humanitarian parole or intra-company transfers to retain critical talent if the termination is upheld.
Organizations looking for practical support while they evaluate contingency options can turn to VisaHQ. The company’s U.S. portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers step-by-step guidance on humanitarian applications, employment-based visas, travel documentation and compliance monitoring, giving HR teams and individual applicants a streamlined way to stay ahead of shifting immigration rules.
Beyond South Sudan, the suit highlights the broader legal risk posed by DHS’s stepped-up reviews of TPS countries. Courts have already blocked several terminations since 2020, creating a patchwork of injunctions that mobility professionals must track closely when forecasting visa needs and project timelines.
