More than 100,000 migrants from Ukraine and Sudan will not face immediate deportation following the expiration of their legal standing, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced. Temporary protected status (TPS) was scheduled to end on Monday for approximately 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese nationals currently living in the United States.
In an official statement, the DHS confirmed that an explicit determination “will be made at the appropriate time.” In the interim, officials stated that affected individuals covered under these emergency protections will “retain protection,” although the agency provided no timeline regarding how long this status will endure or when a definitive ruling will be issued.
Although DHS did not explicitly address whether recipients can retain employment authorization, TPS status historically allows beneficiaries to work legally while the temporary protections remain valid. The decision follows advocacy from a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and activists who warned that ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine makes it unsafe for migrants to be sent back.
Reactions to the announcement remained critical among refugee advocates. Yuriy Boyechko, chief executive officer of Hope For Ukraine, an organization delivering humanitarian relief and helping resettle refugees, termed the federal response “last-minute patches.” He characterized the temporary hold as a “bandage that has been placed on a wound that does not solve the real issue,” adding that “it’s time for US to come up with some normal path to permanent residency for all these people” who cannot safely return home.
Conversely, Andrew Arthur, an immigration and national security fellow at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, noted that the federal government is under no strict administrative deadline to issue a final decision. “It’s simply going to be an extension until it is a termination,” Arthur explained, noting that ongoing military violence in both Ukraine and Sudan grants the secretary clear legal authority to continue the protections. Until then, nothing changes, he said. Send us your questions about immigration and the midterms.
The move aligns with a recent shift in how the Trump administration manages expiring protections. While the administration previously ended TPS for over 1 million individuals from 13 nations—including Afghanistan, Syria, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—it took a similar approach last month for roughly 200,000 Salvadorans whose protections were set to expire on September 9, allowing them to remain and work while awaiting a decision. The administration kept protections in place for nearly 200,000 Salvadorians whose TPS was set to expire on 9 September, but in a change in practice roughly a month ago.
Ukraine was initially designated for TPS protection in April 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The Biden administration later extended the measure in January 2025, authorizing an additional 18-month extension through October 2026. Meanwhile, Sudan’s TPS program dates back to 1997 and has been repeatedly extended by consecutive presidential administrations due to recurring military conflict and political instability.
This latest deportation pause arrives just two weeks ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, where the Trump administration’s immigration policies and border enforcement strategies remain a central issue for voters at the ballot box.
