Overview
- U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley issued an administrative stay on Dec. 30 that prevents the Trump administration from letting Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan expire in early January.
- The stay preserves lawful status, work authorization, and protection from deportation for about 232 current TPS holders and roughly 73 applicants while the case proceeds.
- Kelley emphasized the ruling does not decide the merits, citing potential “serious, long-term consequences” and setting briefing deadlines for Jan. 9 and Jan. 13.
- The lawsuit by African Communities Together and South Sudanese nationals claims DHS acted unlawfully and disregarded ongoing humanitarian crises, countering DHS’s November 5 termination notice by Secretary Kristi Noem.
- DHS argues South Sudan no longer meets TPS criteria, a stance at odds with U.N. reporting of continuing violence and severe human suffering, as broader DHS efforts to end TPS for other countries face multiple court challenges.