Federal Judge Lifts Hold, Allowing End to Ethiopian TPS Protections

A federal judge has paved the way for the Trump administration to terminate deportation protections for Ethiopian immigrants. This decision impacts Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations pursued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for several countries. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston lifted a temporary hold on the TPS program, which allowed Ethiopian nationals to reside and work legally in the U.S. Ethiopia was previously classified as unsafe.

Last year, the DHS assessed that Ethiopia no longer warranted TPS based on improved conditions in the country. The recent ruling removes the last legal impediment for DHS after the Supreme Court allowed the administration to end similar protections for people from Haiti and Syria.

All TPS terminations are now in effect. Those with terminated TPS should leave now. If they don’t, we will deport them, stated the DHS in a post.

Ethiopian nationals under TPS now face potential deportation following the court’s decision. This ruling is part of a split decision by Judge Murphy, who previously issued an administrative stay in the case African Communities Together v. Markwayne Mullin. Plaintiffs in the case contended that the TPS termination was due to racial and national-origin discrimination.

Judge Murphy determined that DHS possesses the authority to terminate TPS designations. The ruling also affirmed that individuals are not entitled to personal hearings prior to the termination of the nationwide program.

The court allowed the plaintiffs’ main claim of discriminatory termination to proceed, suggesting they had a plausible case under the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

TPS, a program created by Congress in 1990, provides temporary work authorization and deportation protection to noncitizens from countries considered unsafe due to conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Ethiopia received its TPS designation on December 12, 2022, because of ongoing armed conflict and severe climatic events.

In December of the preceding year, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced the end of Ethiopia’s TPS status, effective February 13, 2026. This prompted legal challenges and temporary court-ordered suspensions, which the recent ruling has now resolved.