Two US federal judges have rejected immigrant-rights advocates’ efforts to preserve Temporary Protected Status for nationals of South Sudan and Myanmar, clearing the way for the Trump administration to end the protections.
The decisions, issued Friday in Boston and Chicago, affect about 232 South Sudanese nationals and roughly 4,000 people from Myanmar, according to Reuters as cited by Al Jazeera. The people covered had been allowed to continue living and working in the United States under an administrative stay during the legal challenge.
At a glance:
- The Boston ruling concerns South Sudanese nationals; the Chicago ruling concerns Myanmar nationals.
- TPS protects eligible people from deportation and provides work authorisation while the designation remains in effect.
- The terminations would affect about 232 people from South Sudan and roughly 4,000 from Myanmar.
- Court blocks on TPS terminations for Ethiopian and Somali nationals remain in place, according to a DHS general counsel.
| While TPS protection applies | After termination takes effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Deportation protection | Protection from deportation under TPS | The TPS protection would end, leaving recipients exposed to possible deportation |
| Employment | Work authorisation is available under TPS | The source does not specify the status of work authorisation after termination |
| Legal status in this case | An administrative stay allowed people to continue living and working in the US during the court fight | The judges’ rulings clear the way for the administration to end the protections |
What the judges decided
US District Judge Patti Saris in Boston rejected the challenge involving South Sudan. She said accepting the argument that the Department of Homeland Security lacked authority to terminate TPS would also call into question its longstanding authority to extend the protections.
Related coverage: Federal Judge Blocks Trump Policy to Revoke Work Permits from Asylum Seekers and TPS Holders.
Hours later, US District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago reached a similar conclusion in the Myanmar case. The rulings followed a June Supreme Court decision that allowed the administration to end similar protections for people from Haiti and Syria and limited lower courts’ ability to block DHS decisions involving TPS.
Why the protections are ending
TPS is available when a person’s home country is affected by armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions. South Sudan has held the designation since 2011 amid ongoing conflict, while Myanmar has faced political turmoil since a 2021 military coup.
DHS moved in November 2025 to end TPS for nationals of both countries. Advocates warned that the court rulings could expose recipients to possible deportation to countries they said remain affected by conflict and instability.
More context: Trump wins temporary pause on BBC access to business records.
What happens next
The rulings do not mean the source has reported immediate deportations. They remove the legal obstacle that had helped maintain the protections while the challenges proceeded, allowing the administration to move toward the terminations.
James Percival, DHS’s general counsel, said the only TPS terminations still blocked by courts are those involving Ethiopian and Somali nationals. The source does not provide a date for when the South Sudan and Myanmar terminations will take effect.
Questions readers ask
What does Temporary Protected Status provide?
TPS protects eligible people from deportation and grants work authorisation when their home countries face armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions.
Does the ruling mean all affected people have already been deported?
No. The rulings clear the way for the protections to end. The source says recipients were exposed to possible deportation but does not report that deportations had already occurred.
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