Politics
TPS deadline puts Ukrainians and Sudanese in U.S. at risk of renewed uncertainty
More than 100,000 Ukrainians and about 2,000 Sudanese could see their Temporary Protected Status expire Oct. 19, but Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not announced whether he will renew it. An automatic six-month extension may apply if no decision is issued, though the department has not confirmed the protections for either group.
WASHINGTON — More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese living in the United States face uncertainty as their Temporary Protected Status is set to expire Monday, Oct. 19. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not said whether he will extend the protections, which allow people to remain and work in the country when returning home is considered unsafe.
TPS was granted to Ukrainians after Russia’s 2022 invasion and to Sudanese nationals amid the country’s ongoing civil war. The U.S. State Department currently advises Americans not to travel to either country, its highest warning level.
Federal law calls for the secretary to announce a decision at least 60 days before a designation expires. If no decision is made, an automatic six-month extension takes effect, but the Department of Homeland Security has not confirmed whether that extension will apply to Ukrainians or Sudanese. A similar lack of clarity has left about 200,000 Salvadorans uncertain after their protections expired in September; DHS has said they retain deportation protections and work authorization for now.
The uncertainty comes as the Trump administration has moved to end protections for immigrants from multiple countries. Ukraine and Sudan are among the last remaining countries whose TPS designations were still in effect at the start of the administration; Lebanon’s designation is due to expire Nov. 27.
Immigration advocates argue conditions in Ukraine have not improved enough to make return safe. Jennie Murray, president and CEO of the National Immigration Forum, said ending protections while the war continues would put people in danger and break with longstanding U.S. policy.
A bipartisan group of 31 senators, including Maryland Democrats Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen, has urged Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to extend Ukraine’s designation for 18 months. The senators said the war has damaged civilian infrastructure and left people with limited access to basic services, warning that an expiration could send more than 100,000 people back to an active conflict zone.
Eight Democratic senators, including Van Hollen, separately pressed the administration in August to renew TPS for Sudanese nationals, citing armed conflict, a humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses. The senators said safe return was not possible under current conditions.