South Sudan seeks sanctions relief in US deportation talks
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The US is pressuring fragile states like South Sudan to accept deportees, offering little in return while ignoring human rights and fueling political instability.
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Deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Madison Sheahan, flanked by Acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, speaks during a news conference at ICE Headquarters, in Washington, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP)
South Sudan has expressed willingness to receive more migrants deported from the US, but it has attached several requests to any such cooperation, Politico reported, citing diplomatic sources.
As part of the discussions, Juba has urged the Trump administration to lift sanctions on a high-ranking official. The country has also asked for the reversal of visa cancellations imposed in April by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the reactivation of a key account at the New York Federal Reserve to resume US dollar transactions, and support for prosecuting First Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest.
Although none of these demands have been met, South Sudan is trying to mend its strained relationship with the US, which has soured over the years.
“South Sudan will continue to be an ally of the United States, support the policies of the United States, and especially the policies of the current president, his excellency, President Donald Trump,” South Sudanese Ambassador to Washington Santino Dicken said. He also emphasized, “We are asking the US administration to lift visa restrictions on South Sudanese passport holders.”
Deportees held in South Sudan await repatriation
Earlier this month, the US finalized the deportation of eight men to South Sudan following a six-week legal battle. Only one of the men is originally from South Sudan. These deportations reflect the administration’s broader strategy of sending deportees to third countries when their countries of origin refuse to receive them.
Currently, the eight men are being held in a secure facility while South Sudan works to repatriate them to their respective countries, sources said.
While the US has not made an official request to deport additional people to South Sudan, ongoing talks, including a meeting between South Sudan’s foreign minister and senior US Africa advisor Massad Boulos, suggest that both nations are exploring potential arrangements.
Africa as a target for US deportation deals
The Trump administration has increasingly looked to African countries as allies in its immigration agenda, seeing opportunities to strike deals that also serve diplomatic or economic goals.
According to one source familiar with the negotiations cited by Politico, “Trump or his aides have raised the prospect of sending such deportees at every meeting with African leaders.”
Eswatini recently accepted five deportees, and the US is also negotiating with Rwanda to accept other migrants who cannot return to their home countries.
“These are countries that are keen to appease the administration…because they want something back,” said Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. He added, “So whether it is tariff concessions, or in the case of African countries, many of them are under the threat of being placed under a travel ban…these are the stakes…to get these countries to accept the nationals. And they also get paid.”
Unclear terms, secretive agreements
While the White House declined to comment on “private discussions,” a spokesperson confirmed that the administration regularly engages foreign governments on a range of issues.
Although there is no formal US-South Sudan agreement yet, Congress has already received written deals regarding deportations involving Eswatini and El Salvador, a separate source noted.
Media reports indicate that at least 15 African countries, including Eswatini and South Sudan, have been approached with such proposals. Not all are receptive.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said in an interview with Channels Television, “It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners,” pointing to his country’s already large population of 230 million and saying, “We have enough problems of our own.”
Human rights concerns
The administration’s push to deport people, including those convicted of violent crimes, to countries with poor human rights records has alarmed advocacy groups.
South Sudan and El Salvador, for example, are among nations flagged by the State Department as dangerous. El Salvador recently received deportees who were sent directly to a notorious prison. In South Sudan, deportees have been placed in guarded compounds, with little transparency.
Human rights advocates, immigration lawyers, and even some lawmakers have voiced concerns about the lack of clear information and the risk of abuse.
The Guardian reported that since Trump took office, over 8,100 individuals have been sent to third countries, most often Mexico.
While countries like El Salvador and Eswatini have received financial incentives for accepting deportees, South Sudan is hoping its cooperation will lead to improved ties with the US and fulfill some of its demands.
Talk began before Rubio canceled South Sudan visas
The US remains South Sudan’s largest donor of humanitarian assistance, playing a key role in both financial aid and diplomatic mediation. As a result, sources suggest South Sudan may agree to accept more deportees regardless of whether its requests are met.
The talks began shortly after Marco Rubio canceled all visas for South Sudanese nationals in April, citing the country's refusal to accept its own deported citizens.
In response, South Sudan accepted eight deportees from countries like Cuba, Myanmar, and Vietnam as a goodwill gesture. At the same time, the Trump administration extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudanese migrants in the US for six more months, a surprising move, given the administration’s general trend of removing TPS protections.
Yet tensions remain. The US recently renewed sanctions on Benjamin Bol Mel, South Sudan’s unofficial second-in-command and a potential successor to President Salva Kiir, citing corruption.
“Most countries that the US is talking to to take migrants, they don’t have a sanctioned would-be-next president,” a source said. “They have a particular incentive in getting along with us.”
In a diplomatic message dated May 12, South Sudan formally agreed to accept third-country nationals being deported from the US and outlined several concerns, including “a request for the removal of individual targeted sanctions imposed on senior government officials of the Republic of South Sudan, especially His Excellency Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.”
It also asked for the lifting of visa restrictions, US investment in its oil and mineral sectors, and backing for legal action against Vice President Machar.
State Department response and legal framework
The US State Department has not commented on the specific request to send more deportees to South Sudan but said, “We remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass migration and bolster America’s border security.”
It reiterated a call for President Salva Kiir to “reverse the house arrest of First Vice President Machar and for all party leaders to return to direct dialogue,” suggesting it is not ready to meet South Sudan’s demand regarding Machar.
According to Chishti, the strategy has dual aims: to pressure reluctant governments into compliance and to send a deterrent message about US immigration enforcement.
“This is a small number of people, when you really think about it,” Chishti said. “But they get the attention, and part of it is to get the attention.”
