Van Hollen, Cardin Urge Biden Administration to Renew TPS Designation for Sudan, Providing Critical Relief to Sudanese in U.S.

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) wrote to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to issue a new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Sudan. TPS is designated for countries that are deemed unsafe for their citizens to return due to extraordinary circumstances such as war or natural disaster, allowing those countries’ nationals that are already in the U.S. to live and work here on a temporary basis. Sudan has an active TPS designation that is set to expire on October 19, 2023. In their letter, the Senators call on the Biden Administration to renew the designation amid ongoing armed conflict and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. Maryland is home to a large Sudanese diaspora, with more than 2,000 people of Sudanese descent living in our state.

“Sudan faced record levels of humanitarian need before the current conflict, which exacerbated those needs and created new ones. Since the fighting began in April, U.S. and international reports document mounting casualties, increasing scarcity of essential goods and services, and a breakdown of law and order affecting as many as ten million people. There are concerns that the conflict could devolve into a full-blown civil war,” the Senators wrote.

“TPS provides life-saving protection from deportation and permission to work. Without it, Sudanese TPS recipients in Maryland and nationwide face a looming threat of forced return to a country facing ongoing violence and instability, and separation from their families and communities. Re-designating Sudan’s TPS status, which has been in effect since 1997, would provide much-needed clarity to current Sudanese TPS holders and protect Sudanese nationals who recently arrived in the U.S.,” the Senators concluded.

Full text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

We are writing to urge you to issue a new Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Sudan. Last week, State Department and Agency for International Development (USAID) officials testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the crisis unfolding in Sudan as a result of the extraordinary armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Re-designation of TPS for Sudan would safeguard Sudanese in the U.S. from a return to these dangerous conditions and uphold the United States’ commitment to human rights and international stability.

Sudan faced record levels of humanitarian need before the current conflict, which exacerbated those needs and created new ones. Since the fighting began in April, U.S. and international reports document mounting casualties, increasing scarcity of essential goods and services, and a breakdown of law and order affecting as many as ten million people. There are concerns that the conflict could devolve into a full-blown civil war. On April 22, 2023, the State Department suspended the operations of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, ordered the departure of U.S. diplomats, and provided convoy assistance for American civilians who wished to leave the country due to the continued threat of armed conflict. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress on May 4 that the fighting in Sudan is “likely to be protracted” as both sides believe they can win militarily and are unlikely to negotiate.

While we commend the Biden Administration for its prompt implementation of TPS protections for people from war-ravaged nations, including Sudan’s 2022 re-designation, we are concerned about the impending expiration of the current TPS designation for Sudan on October 19, 2023. TPS provides life-saving protection from deportation and permission to work. Without it, Sudanese TPS recipients in Maryland and nationwide face a looming threat of forced return to a country facing ongoing violence and instability, and separation from their families and communities. Re-designating Sudan’s TPS status, which has been in effect since 1997, would provide much-needed clarity to current Sudanese TPS holders and protect Sudanese nationals who recently arrived in the U.S.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,