US judge clears way for Trump administration to end protections for Ethiopians
A federal judge has ruled the Trump administration can proceed with ending Temporary Protected Status for roughly 5,000 Ethiopians in the US, exposing them to deportation. Ethiopia was the last country covered by the policy shift.
US District Judge Brian Murphy has lifted a temporary block that had prevented the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian nationals living in the United States. The ruling clears the way for roughly 5,000 Ethiopians to lose their work authorization and protection from removal.
Following the decision, the Department of Homeland Security posted on social media that people whose TPS has been terminated are in the country illegally and must either leave voluntarily or be deported. DHS general counsel James Percival said on X that all TPS terminations are now in effect.
Ethiopia was the final country on a list of more than a dozen where the Trump administration has moved to end TPS as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Similar terminations have already taken effect for nationals of Haiti, Syria, Venezuela and Honduras, after the Supreme Court in June allowed the administration to end protections for Haitians and Syrians.
Ethiopian plaintiffs and the advocacy group African Communities Together expressed disappointment, warning that ongoing instability in Ethiopia means the ruling puts thousands of lives at risk. Judge Murphy dismissed part of the lawsuit but allowed plaintiffs to continue arguing that the termination may have been motivated by racial or national-origin discrimination, which would be unconstitutional.
Background in Ethiopia
TPS was first granted to Ethiopians by the Biden administration in 2022 due to armed conflict, including the Tigray war. Nearly four years after that war ended, tensions in Tigray have been rising again, with fighting and drone strikes reported in recent weeks. The federal government and Tigrayan leaders have accused each other of violating the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, and Ethiopia also continues to face armed insurgencies in the Oromia and Amhara regions. DHS first moved to end TPS for Ethiopians in December, citing improved conditions in the country.
