Federal Judge Allows End of Deportation Protections for Ethiopian Immigrants

A federal judge has permitted the Trump administration to terminate deportation protections for Ethiopian immigrants. This decision enforces the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pursued for certain nations. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston has removed a temporary hold on this long-standing TPS program. Ethiopian nationals could live and work in the U.S. while their country was deemed unsafe.

Last year, the DHS assessed that Ethiopia no longer qualified for TPS, indicating improvements in the country. This ruling eliminates the final legal barriers for the DHS after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in June supported the termination of similar protections for people from Haiti and Syria.

DHS stated, “ALL TPS terminations are now IN EFFECT. Those with terminated TPS should leave NOW. If they don’t, we will DEPORT them.”

The decision affects Ethiopian nationals under TPS, who may now face deportation following the court ruling. This is part of a split decision in the case African Communities Together v. Markwayne Mullin. Plaintiffs argued DHS ended protections based on racial and national-origin discrimination.

Judge Murphy determined DHS has the authority to end TPS designations, and individuals were not entitled to personal hearings before the program’s termination. However, he allowed the plaintiffs’ main claim to continue, finding a plausible case of discrimination violating the Fifth Amendment Equal Protection Clause.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a humanitarian initiative from 1990. It offers temporary work authorization and deportation protection to noncitizens from nations unsafe due to armed conflict, natural disasters, or other severe conditions.

Ethiopia initially received TPS designation on Dec. 12, 2022, due to armed conflict and harsh climatic events. The Secretary of Homeland Security terminated Ethiopia’s TPS status last December, aiming for an end date of Feb. 13, 2026. This decision led to legal challenges and temporary pauses now lifted by the judge’s ruling.