Ukraine and Sudan protected status passes its Oct. 19 end date with no federal notice; DHS says holders keep protection

As of Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Department of Homeland Security had not published a Federal Register notice extending or ending Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine or Sudan, a day after both designations reached the end date the government had set.¹²³

The department said in statements to news organizations that people enrolled in the program keep their protection. DHS said decisions on the two countries “will be made at the appropriate time” and that enrolled Ukrainian and Sudanese nationals “retain protection,” according to CBS News and The Associated Press.⁴⁵

What the records say

The government’s last notices for both countries were published Jan. 17, 2025. Each extended the designation for 18 months, from April 20, 2025, through Oct. 19, 2026. The Ukraine notice estimated “approximately 103,700 current Ukraine TPS beneficiaries who are eligible to re-register.” The Sudan notice estimated about 1,900 current Sudanese beneficiaries eligible to re-register.²³

The TPS law requires the government to review each designation at least 60 days before it ends and to publish its decision in the Federal Register. It also says that if the government does not determine that a country no longer meets the conditions for designation, “the period of designation of the foreign state is extended for an additional period of 6 months (or, in the discretion of the Attorney General, a period of 12 or 18 months).” The law names the attorney general; the January 2025 notices say Congress transferred that authority to the secretary of homeland security.⁶²

The AP reported that under federal rules, TPS is extended automatically for six months when the secretary makes no determination at least 60 days before a designation expires. DHS’s statements, as reported by CBS News and the AP, did not cite that provision.⁵⁴

Temporary Protected Status lets people from designated countries stay and work in the United States while conditions at home prevent a safe return. The AP put the number of people affected at about 101,000 Ukrainians and 1,800 Sudanese. CBS News reported more than 100,000 Ukrainians and about 1,800 Sudanese enrolled as of March 2025. Reuters reported that about 240,000 Ukrainians have registered for TPS and that an estimated 6,800 TPS holders are from Sudan.⁵⁴⁷

What advocates said

Leaders of aid and refugee groups said the people affected need longer-term or formal action. Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief, said, “We’re grateful for an extension, however temporary, for TPS holders from Ukraine and Sudan,” and urged longer-term relief, the AP reported. Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope For Ukraine, called the announcement a “bandage that has been placed on a wound that does not solve the real issue” and called for a path to permanent residency.⁵

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, said, “It is not safe for these families to go home,” according to the AP. Reuters quoted her as saying, “The appropriate time to act was weeks ago,” and reported that the group urged a formal written decision.⁵⁷

What the records do not show

• DHS has not published a new end date for either designation, and it has not said whether it considers them extended under the six-month provision.¹⁵
• DHS did not answer the AP’s question about whether work permits remain valid past Oct. 19, the AP reported.⁵
• The beneficiary counts above come from January 2025 government estimates and from news reports, which differ; SignalData found no current official count.²³⁵⁴⁷