Judge Blocks Ending Protections for South Sudanese Immigrants

Ruling preserves temporary legal status for around 300 immigrants from the war-torn country.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A federal judge in Boston has postponed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 300 immigrants from South Sudan. The judge found that the plaintiffs challenging the removal of TPS are likely to prevail, as the government may have violated the Administrative Procedure Act in arbitrarily terminating the designation for the country.

Why it matters

TPS allows immigrants from designated countries to legally remain in the U.S. and work when conditions like armed conflict prevent a safe return. This ruling preserves protections for South Sudanese immigrants who fled the ongoing civil war and humanitarian crisis in their home country.

The details

The judge ruled that the plaintiffs challenging the removal of TPS for South Sudan are likely to succeed in their arguments that the government acted arbitrarily and violated the Administrative Procedure Act in terminating the designation. TPS provides temporary legal status and work authorization for immigrants from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

  • The judge's ruling was issued on February 13, 2026.

The players

Judge Patti B. Saris

A federal judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts who issued the ruling preserving TPS protections for South Sudanese immigrants.

Plaintiffs

Individuals and organizations that filed the lawsuit challenging the termination of TPS for South Sudan.

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What’s next

The judge's ruling temporarily blocks the termination of TPS for South Sudan, preserving protections for the approximately 300 affected immigrants while the lawsuit proceeds.

The takeaway

This ruling highlights the legal challenges the U.S. government faces in terminating TPS designations, which provide a critical lifeline for immigrants fleeing war, natural disasters, and other extraordinary conditions in their home countries.