A federal judge has permitted the Trump administration to end deportation protections for Ethiopian immigrants. This decision activates all terminations of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sought for certain countries.
In Boston, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy removed a temporary halt on the TPS program. This program allowed Ethiopian nationals to live and work legally in the U.S. since their home country was considered unsafe. DHS had recently concluded that Ethiopia no longer met the criteria for TPS, claiming conditions there had improved.
The DHS stated, “ALL TPS terminations are now IN EFFECT.” The department warned that individuals with terminated TPS must leave immediately or face deportation.
Murphy’s decision removes the last legal obstacle for DHS. This follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June allowing the administration to end similar protections for individuals from Haiti and Syria.
The latest federal court ruling may lead to the deportation of Ethiopian nationals previously covered by TPS. The decision is part of a divided ruling where Murphy previously issued an administrative stay in the case African Communities Together v. Markwayne Mullin. The plaintiffs claimed that DHS ended the protections due to discrimination based on race and national origin.
Muphy concluded that DHS possesses the authority to end TPS designations. He noted that individuals are not entitled to individual hearings before ending the nationwide program.
Although Murphy allowed the primary claim of plaintiffs to proceed, he found it plausible that the government ended protections due to discrimination, possibly violating the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
TPS is a humanitarian program started by Congress in 1990. It offers temporary work authorization and protection from deportation for noncitizens from home countries considered unsafe due to ongoing conflicts, natural disasters, or extraordinary conditions.
Ethiopia received its TPS designation on December 12, 2022, as a result of ongoing conflicts and severe climatic challenges. Last December, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced an end to Ethiopia’s TPS designation, with an effective termination date set for February 13, 2026. This decision led to immediate legal challenges and temporary pauses that have now been lifted by the latest ruling.