Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the United States is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and suspending future visa issuance, citing the country’s failure to cooperate with U.S. deportation efforts.
In a strongly worded statement, Rubio accused South Sudan’s transitional government of exploiting American immigration leniency and undermining U.S. national security.
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“It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States,” Rubio said. “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States.”
According to the State Department, the decision comes after repeated instances where South Sudan refused to accept the return of its nationals who were ordered removed from the U.S., a requirement under international norms and bilateral agreements.
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” Rubio added.
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Effective immediately, the visa revocations will apply to all South Sudanese nationals holding U.S. visas, including students, business travelers, and other temporary visa holders. The State Department also confirmed it has instructed U.S. embassies to halt the issuance of new visas to South Sudanese passport holders until further notice.
The move marks a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement efforts, which have included similar actions against other nations deemed “uncooperative” in accepting deportees.
Rubio emphasized that the restrictions could be lifted, but only if South Sudan demonstrates full compliance with U.S. repatriation procedures.
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“We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation,” he said.
The South Sudanese government has yet to publicly respond to the announcement. The action is expected to affect thousands of South Sudanese nationals currently residing in or seeking entry to the United States.
Human rights and refugee advocates are watching closely, as South Sudan remains embroiled in internal conflict and humanitarian instability despite its ongoing transitional peace process.
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