Sudanese and Ukrainian TPS holders retain deportation protection pending DHS decision

People from Sudan and Ukraine covered by Temporary Protected Status will retain their deportation protection while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prepares a decision on their status, the Associated Press reported on October 19. The protection had been scheduled to expire that day for about 1,800 Sudanese and 101,000 Ukrainians.

DHS said an announcement would be made at the appropriate time and that people covered by the temporary measures retain protection until then. It did not specify how long they could stay or when it would issue a final decision, according to the report.

The department did not answer AP's question about whether beneficiaries could keep their work permits. TPS generally allows people to work while their protection remains in effect, but the report did not establish a separate answer for these permits.

Sudan's TPS program was established in 1997 and has been repeatedly extended because of armed conflict and political instability. Ukraine was first designated in April 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion. The Biden administration most recently extended Ukraine's designation in January 2025 through October 2026, AP reported.

Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries affected by natural disasters or civil strife. It allows eligible people already in the United States to remain and work for renewable periods, but does not provide a pathway to permanent residency. AP noted that federal rules provide an automatic six-month extension if the secretary does not make a determination at least 60 days before a designation expires.

Global Refuge president and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah said Sudan and Ukraine meet the legal conditions for continued protection and that it was not safe for families to return. The report described Sudan's ongoing civil war as the backdrop to the decision.