The United States has revoked all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, citing South Sudan’s refusal to accept repatriated citizens. The move, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. The administration has repeatedly warned that countries refusing to take back deported nationals will face penalties such as visa sanctions or trade restrictions.
Rubio emphasized that South Sudan has failed to uphold the international principle requiring nations to accept their citizens when other countries seek their removal. “Effective immediately, the United States is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and halting further issuance,” Rubio said. He added that the policy could be reconsidered if South Sudan fully cooperates.
This decision comes amid growing instability in South Sudan, raising fears of a return to civil war. African Union mediators arrived in the capital, Juba, for crisis talks following the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar. The government, led by President Salva Kiir, accuses Machar of inciting a new rebellion. Machar, a key figure in the 2013–2018 civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead, previously led rebel forces and was allied with the White Army militia, though his supporters deny current ties.
Recent clashes in Upper Nile state between government forces and the White Army have further strained the fragile peace. The previous conflict was largely ethnic, with Kiir backed by the Dinka majority and Machar by the Nuer.
South Sudan’s embassy in Washington has not yet responded to the U.S. visa ban. The situation underscores rising tensions both diplomatically and domestically, with U.S. immigration policy increasingly tied to international cooperation on deportations.