Immigrants from Ukraine and Sudan to keep deportation protections for now

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN | 10/19/2026, 11:12 a.m.
Thousands of Ukrainian and Sudanese immigrants may get a temporary reprieve from deportation as the Trump administration delays its decision …
Department of Homeland Security Kevin Carter/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

Immigrants from Ukraine and Sudan are expected to be allowed to continue to live and work in the United States for now after their deportation protections were set to expire this week, the Department of Homeland Security said.


Temporary Protected Status is a form of humanitarian relief that provides people fleeing war, natural disasters or humanitarian crises with temporary permission to remain in the US without fear of being deported. As of March 2025, there were more than 100,000 Ukrainians and more than 1,790 nationals of Sudan enrolled in the program, according to federal data.


TPS protections for both countries were slated to end Monday.


A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in statement to CNN that announcements on TPS for Ukraine and Sudan “will be made at the appropriate time.” Until those announcements are made, immigrants from Ukraine and Sudan who are in the US retain protections, the spokesperson said.


The Trump administration, which has terminated TPS for multiple countries in its efforts to curb immigration, took a similar approach for nationals of El Salvador earlier this year, allowing them to keep protections pending an announcement.


Trump administration officials have repeatedly argued that the permissions are temporary and not a permanent solution, criticizing previous administrations for repeatedly extending them.


The US Supreme Court in June allowed the Trump administration to end temporary deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from Haiti and Syria who have endured war and natural disasters.


Those who have lost TPS status have faced fear and confusion because they are vulnerable to detention and deportation at any time. And Salvadorans who spoke with CNN last month said they’re increasingly concerned their days in the US could be numbered.