Today, the Temporary Protected Status Deferred Enforced Departure Administrative Advocacy Coalition (TPS-DED AAC) commends the Biden administration.
They are commended for its decision to newly designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Sudan and extended and redesigate TPS for South Sudan.
TPS provides protection from deportation and permission to work for eligible nationals of countries that have been designated temporarily too dangerous for return.
Today’s designation comes after continuous advocacy and education—154 organizations and 34 Congress members signed on in support of South Sudan’s redesignation just last month.
We also applaud the decision to provide Special Student Relief to international students from South Sudan due to the ongoing crisis, and we urge the administration to extend the same protection and flexibility to students from Sudan.
Over 7,000 people from Sudan and South Sudan are set to gain new protections from today’s designations. South Sudan has not been redesignated since 2016, and Sudan has thus far remained in limbo under litigation, its cut off date frozen in 2013.
Under these new and renewed designations, those who arrived after the former cut-off dates will now be able to apply for protection.
Both countries continue to face political instability, violent conflict, severe food insecurity, and limited access to humanitarian aid.
Diana Konaté, Policy Director at African Communities Together stated: “Our members from Sudan and South Sudan have been huge advocates for themselves and other communities seeking designation throughout the U.S.
We thank the Biden administration for recognizing the critical need for TPS for Sudan and South Sudan and look forward to the long and necessary road ahead to designating TPS for the many other countries in need.”
Timantha Goff, Policy and Advocacy Analyst at UndocuBlack Network stated: “These renewed protections have been long-awaited and much needed. As the people of Sudan and South Sudan continue to face violent turmoil, natural disaster, and a severe lack of access to humanitarian aid, it would be unconscionable to return anyone to such conditions when the United States is more than capable of providing safe refuge. We commend the Biden administration for prioritizing humane and pragmatic solutions for immigrant communities, and we hope to see more of the same in the future.”
Taisha Saintil, Communications and Legislative Director at Haitian Bridge Alliance stated: “We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision on designating Sudan and redesignating South Sudan for temporary protected status (TPS). As admitted by the administration on March 29, 2021, South Sudan is experiencing ‘widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations.’ Sudan, respectively, also continues to experience human rights violations, including the widespread use of torture against activists and members of the former government. These decisions today will protect the lives of Sudanese and South Sudanese in the United States. As we celebrate, we continuously urge for the protection of other countries in urgent need of designation, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Mauritania.”
Lisa Parisio, Director of Advocacy at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., stated: “As part of the announcement on this critically-needed humanitarian relief, CLINIC particularly applauds DHS for announcing it will publish the decision on South Sudan in the Federal Register tomorrow, March 3rd, when the decision is due under law. Delays in publishing official TPS decisions in the Federal Register under the previous and current administrations have had serious consequences for the people these protections are intended to benefit. Late Federal Register Notices, compounded by processing delays at USCIS, can leave people without access to the documents they need to work, obtain drivers’ licenses, and meet other basic needs of daily life. These are essential parts of the stability and security that TPS is supposed to provide. We are glad to see this announcement for South Sudan in the Federal Register and hope to see more timely notices in the future.”
The TPS-DED AAC is a national coalition of more than 100 organizations with deep expertise in law and policy surrounding TPS and DED.
Member organizations range from community-based organizations directly serving impacted communities in the United States to international NGOs, working in and providing insight from affected countries.
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