(JUBA) – South Sudan has entered into sensitive negotiations with the United States after agreeing to accept a small group of migrants deported from America under President Donald Trump’s expanded immigration enforcement efforts. The East African country, which recently received eight deportees, including only one South Sudanese national, is using the development as an opportunity to request concessions from Washington.
According to sources familiar with the talks and diplomatic correspondence reviewed by POLITICO, Juba is asking the Trump administration to lift sanctions on a top government official, reverse sweeping visa restrictions placed on South Sudanese citizens, restore a blocked bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and support legal action against First Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest in South Sudan.
The requests were communicated by South Sudanese officials in recent high level meetings with U.S. officials, including one involving Foreign Minister James Pitia Morgan and White House Africa adviser Massad Boulos. Although the United States has not agreed to the proposals, the dialogue highlights how countries like South Sudan are trying to use Trump’s hardline migration agenda to secure political and economic benefits.
The eight men deported to South Sudan this month, seven of whom are not South Sudanese, have been placed in a secure compound while the government arranges for their onward repatriation to their countries of origin. The group includes individuals from Cuba, Mexico, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
South Sudan’s ambassador to the United States, Santino Ayuel, expressed support for closer ties with Washington and Trump’s administration, stating, “We would love also that our partners in the administration understand that as for the government of South Sudan, to convince its citizens freely, we are asking the U.S. administration to lift visa restrictions on South Sudanese passport holders.”
The visa restrictions were introduced in April by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after South Sudan declined to receive its nationals expelled from the United States. In retaliation, all South Sudanese visa holders had their documents revoked, and new visa issuance was frozen.
Shortly after, South Sudan agreed to take the eight migrants as a goodwill gesture, hoping it would ease diplomatic pressure and pave the way for future cooperation. These developments come amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to secure agreements with African and Latin American nations to accept deportees, including those convicted of crimes or with no direct ties to their designated receiving countries.
According to diplomatic sources, the U.S. is also in talks with Rwanda and has already signed written deals with Eswatini and El Salvador to host deported migrants. A senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, Muzaffar Chishti, explained that some governments may view the opportunity to accept deportees as a bargaining chip.
“These are countries that are keen to appease the administration because they want something back,” Chishti said. “Whether it is tariff concessions or the lifting of visa bans, these are high stakes diplomatic plays.”
South Sudan’s particular interest lies in removing sanctions imposed on Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, widely seen as a potential successor to President Salva Kiir. The United States renewed sanctions against Bol Mel in recent months, citing corruption and misuse of public funds.
In a diplomatic note sent to the U.S. Embassy in Juba on 12 May, the South Sudanese government also requested support for prosecuting Riek Machar, the country’s First Vice President, who remains under house arrest. South Sudan further appealed for increased U.S. investment in its oil, gas and minerals sectors.
Despite these requests, the U.S. State Department has taken a cautious stance. A spokesperson said the department continues to oppose illegal and mass migration and that in some cases, it cooperates with other countries to facilitate the removal of third country nationals who lack legal status in the United States.
Washington has also reiterated its call for President Kiir to lift the house arrest of Machar and urged political leaders in Juba to return to direct negotiations, signalling that despite cooperation on deportations, broader concerns about South Sudan’s political situation and human rights record remain.
Human rights groups have raised alarms about the Trump administration’s strategy of deporting migrants to countries with unstable or dangerous conditions. The State Department itself has previously warned Americans against travelling to South Sudan, citing insecurity and armed conflict. Critics argue that deporting individuals to such nations, especially those without any personal or familial links, violates due process and exposes them to serious risk.
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed the deportation of the eight men to proceed by overturning a lower court ruling that had required more robust legal protections for those targeted for removal to third countries.
According to The Guardian, the Trump administration has deported over 8,000 individuals to countries not their own, with the majority going to Mexico. El Salvador and Eswatini have accepted deportees in exchange for financial assistance. South Sudan, on the other hand, appears to be seeking political and economic benefits as part of its engagement with the U.S.
The United States remains South Sudan’s largest humanitarian donor and plays a key role in supporting the fragile peace process. Observers believe that despite frustrations over sanctions and diplomatic restrictions, South Sudan may continue accepting more deportees in a bid to maintain a working relationship with Washington.
A source familiar with the talks remarked, “Most countries that the U.S. is talking to to take migrants, they don’t have a sanctioned would be next president. South Sudan has a particular incentive to cooperate.”
While the negotiations remain informal and no final agreement has been signed, South Sudan’s willingness to accept migrants and make political concessions is likely to keep it on Washington’s radar as the Trump administration pushes ahead with its controversial immigration agenda.