Federal Judge Clears Way for Ending TPS for Ethiopian Migrants

A federal judge has permitted the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian immigrants. This move impacts the deportation protections previously in place. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston lifted the temporary hold on the TPS program. It allowed Ethiopian nationals to reside and work in the U.S. considering their home country’s unsafe conditions.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Ethiopia no longer met the conditions required for TPS. They argued improvements in the country’s situation. This decision marks the removal of the last legal bar for DHS. Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court in June allowed the termination of similar protections for individuals from Haiti and Syria.

The DHS announced, “ALL TPS terminations are now IN EFFECT.” They urged those with terminated TPS to leave immediately or face deportation. Ethiopian nationals covered by TPS might now encounter deportation threats after this federal court decision.

Judge Murphy’s decision forms part of a split ruling in African Communities Together v. Markwayne Mullin. Plaintiffs claimed the DHS ended protections based on racial and national-origin discrimination. While Murphy found DHS has the power to terminate TPS designations, he also allowed the primary discrimination claim to proceed, considering it a plausible argument that the government violated the Fifth Amendment Equal Protection Clause.

TPS is a humanitarian program started by Congress in 1990. It provides temporary work rights and deportation protection to noncitizens from countries deemed unsafe due to conflicts, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances.

Ethiopia first received designation on Dec. 12, 2022, due to ongoing conflict and severe climatic issues. Last December, the Secretary of Homeland Security ended Ethiopia’s TPS designation, with termination set for Feb. 13, 2026. This led to legal challenges and temporary court-ordered pauses. These pauses are now over, following the recent ruling.