Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the United States will immediately revoke visas held by South Sudan passport holders and suspend the issuance of any new visas to citizens from the East African nation.
The decision stems from what Rubio described as the “continued failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to cooperate with the repatriation of its citizens.” In a statement posted to X, Rubio criticized the South Sudanese government for its refusal to accept deported nationals in a timely manner, a requirement under international norms.
“The United States will not allow other nations to take advantage of our immigration system,” Rubio said. “Every sovereign country has the obligation to accept the return of its own citizens. South Sudan’s failure to do so undermines our national security and the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The State Department echoed Rubio’s remarks, warning that such actions are essential to preserving public safety and enforcing immigration law.
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States,” the department’s statement read. “Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them.”
The department added that the visa restrictions would remain in place until South Sudan demonstrates full cooperation. “We are prepared to reconsider these actions when the Transitional Government of South Sudan meets its international obligations,” the statement continued.
This latest move follows escalating tensions in the region. South Sudan is currently grappling with political instability, the threat of renewed civil war, widespread displacement, and a growing humanitarian crisis driven by food insecurity.
Meanwhile, neighboring Sudan remains in crisis as well. The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended operations nearly a year ago, on April 22, 2023, amid escalating violence, halting all visa and passport services.
The Biden administration’s visa action mirrors a broader crackdown on immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. In February, the White House ended a deportation shield that had protected hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans from removal.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also recently moved to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from more than 300,000 foreign nationals, further tightening immigration policies.
According to a New York Post report citing a DHS official, the Trump administration has deported over 100,000 undocumented migrants since taking office.
The visa restrictions on South Sudan represent the latest step in a broader effort to pressure foreign governments into complying with U.S. deportation orders—a policy that Rubio and the State Department argue is critical to national sovereignty and public safety.