Secretary Rubio says he is canceling all visas for those who hold South Sudanese passports after the war-torn country allegedly refused to cooperate with the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans. The decision could be reversed once South Sudan complies, Mr. Rubio added. 

This is the first instance of President Trump cancelling all visas for a specific nation amid his mass deportation operation. It follows earlier threats he made against Colombia after it refused to take two deportation flights. The South American country later relented after Mr. Trump threatened the Andean nation with tariffs. 

“It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States,” Mr. Rubio said Saturday night. “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner.”

South Sudan has been in the midst of a political crisis for more than a decade, which included a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The political rivalry between the country’s president and first vice president has grown increasingly hostile in recent weeks, sparking fears of a renewed armed conflict. The first vice president, Riek Machar, was placed under house arrest in March after being charged with planning a rebellion against the government ahead of next year’s national elections. 

Mr. Rubio says that the country’s transitional government “has failed to fully respect” the United States’ ability to conduct necessary deportation operations. 

“Effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders,” Mr. Rubio said. The secretary of state assured South Sudan that they will “review” the visa ban once the country “is in full cooperation” with the deportation flights. 

The Trump administration has been taking an especially hard line with those countries that are resisting deportation flights. In January, the state department cancelled all visas for Colombian officials and their families after President Petro turned two deportation flights away from his country. After Mr. Trump’s additional threat of a 25 percent tariff on Colombian goods, Mr. Petro relented and accepted the flights. 

“Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” the White House said after Mr. Petro backed down. “President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens.”