A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary deportation protections for South Sudanese migrants living in the United States.
According to The New York Times, the ruling was issued on Tuesday by Judge Angel Kelley, who ordered a halt to any deportations of South Sudanese nationals under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. The decision came just one week before the protections were set to expire on January 6.
The ruling temporarily preserves legal status for about 230 South Sudanese migrants who are authorized to live and work in the United States under TPS—a program designed to protect people from deportation to countries facing armed conflict or humanitarian crises.
In her four-page decision, Judge Kelley stated that deporting the migrants could result in “serious, long-term consequences, including the risk of deadly harm.” She ordered that no deportations take place until further court action, as legal challenges continue.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
South Sudanese nationals were first granted Temporary Protected Status in 2011 under the Obama administration, following the outbreak of armed conflict in the country. The protection has been extended multiple times over the years due to ongoing instability.
Source: The New York Times
