Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that he had revoked visas for all South Sudan passport holders after refusing to accept “timely” citizens who had been deported by the Trump administration.
Rubio also in a social media post, denounced “the failure of the transitional government in South Sudan” and said he would “restrict further publications” to accept repatriation. In a statement issued through the State Department, Rubio said that he is “ready to review these actions when South Sudan is fully cooperating.”
Rubio’s actions are similar to when President Trump threatened Colombian officials in late January to cancel visas and tariffs on Colombian officials as he refused to accept US military flights with Colombian Deporties. In that case, Colombia quickly reversed the decision.
Rubio’s decision to approve such a drastic action on visas for travelers and immigrants in South Sudan is further indication that the Trump administration is focusing on the actions he has committed to taking the trajectory of his campaign in trying to deport many foreign citizens from the United States as quickly as possible.
Some potential deportees have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, resulting in several judges issuing temporary restraining orders.
South Sudan officials were unable to contact us immediately for comment late Saturday.
Lucas Gattentag, a former Justice Department official during the Biden administration, called it “another example of overusing individuals based on nationality and overdoing the lives of innocent people who protect visa holders instead of engaging in meaningful diplomacy.”
The Trump administration has been sought to run a massive deportation campaign through major operations across the United States over the past few months. Rubio claims he has the right to revoke visas for potential deportees currently in detention centers, as he is destroying American foreign policy.
Several prominent detainees either participated in the campus protests or wrote essays against Israeli war in Gaza and support for American arms.
Rubio said on March 27 that he had probably cancelled more than 300 visas and signed documents daily to deport more people. The most notable foreigner whose visa was revoked was probably Oscar Arias Sanchez, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Arias said Tuesday that the US government informed him that his passport visa had been suspended several weeks after writing on social media that Trump was acting like a “Roman emperor.”
The US government has long faced problems with countries set to be deported by the Department of Homeland Security due to lack of diplomatic relations or the lack of problems with obtaining appropriate travel documents. During the first Trump administration, US authorities imposed visa sanctions on several countries they deemed uncooperative. These sanctions have affected certain people who are already seeking visas overseas.
In 2023, the Biden administration provided protection from deportation of migrants from South Sudan through a program known as temporary protected status. Authorities at the time said the decision had been made. These protections will run until May.
