More than 100,000 people from Ukraine and Sudan can stay in the United States without immediate risk of deportation, after the Department of Homeland Security said their temporary protected status remains in place even though it was set to expire on Monday.
The move gives a short-term reprieve to about 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese living in the United States under the programme, according to reports. DHS said a further announcement “will be made at the appropriate time”, but offered no timetable for deciding whether the status will be extended, ended or changed.
Protection in limbo
Temporary protected status is meant for people whose home countries are considered unsafe because of war, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions. It shields qualifying migrants from deportation and generally allows them to work while the protection lasts, according to reports. The department did not answer questions about whether work permits remain valid.
Federal law requires the secretary to decide at least 60 days before a designation expires; when no timely decision is made, the designation is automatically extended for six months, which would carry both countries to April 2027, according to reports. DHS has not confirmed whether that extension applies.
Relief, with caveats
“We’re grateful for an extension, however temporary, for TPS holders from Ukraine and Sudan,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, according to reports. Global Refuge’s Krish O’Mara Vignarajah noted Russia’s war is nearing its fifth year while Sudan remains locked in a brutal civil war. The uncertainty comes as the administration has moved to end protections for immigrants from multiple countries, with Ukraine and Sudan among the last still in effect. For the families involved, the reprieve buys time but no certainty. Employers checking work authorization still lack a document pointing past October 19, leaving workers legally protected in theory but vulnerable in practice.
