A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan, despite a recent Supreme Court decision that significantly narrowed lower courts’ authority to intervene.

Background

The Trump administration is seeking to end TPS for South Sudan, but U.S. District Judge Patti Saris has granted an administrative stay, preserving TPS protections for South Sudanese nationals while she considers whether plaintiffs may amend their lawsuit and seek renewed relief on constitutional grounds.

The order temporarily freezes the administration’s November 6, 2025, decision ending South Sudan’s TPS designation, keeping it ‘null, void, and of no legal effect’ until jurisdiction returns to the 1st Circuit.

Reaction

DHS general counsel James Percival criticized the decision, saying it is ‘open defiance of the Supreme Court, plain and simple!’

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, also criticized the decision, arguing that Judge Saris lacked authority to issue any relief after the Supreme Court’s recent TPS ruling.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.