U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston has allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for over 5,000 Ethiopians, enabling the termination of their Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This ruling lifts the final judicial block on the Department of Homeland Security ending TPS for individual countries. The decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court previously permitted the administration to end similar protections for individuals from Haiti and Syria.
Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian measure granted by DHS to nationals of countries facing conditions like armed conflict or natural disasters, preventing safe return. Ethiopia was originally designated for TPS in October 2022 due to severe conflicts and humanitarian crises, with the designation extended through December 12, 2025. The termination notice cited improving peace conditions, including a 2022 agreement in Tigray, as justification for ending the status, which was set to take effect on February 13, 2026.
This termination prompted a lawsuit by African Communities Together and three individual TPS holders, alleging violations of the TPS statute and the Administrative Procedure Act. They argued the government failed to follow required procedures. Judge Murphy had previously issued an administrative stay and then a formal order granting the plaintiffs' motion to postpone the termination pending a full resolution of the case's merits. In his ruling, he emphasized that presidential will cannot supersede congressional statutes and agency obligations, finding evidence that conditions in Ethiopia remain too dangerous for safe return and that the termination process was flawed. As a result, Employment Authorization Documents for Ethiopian TPS holders with original expiration dates of June 12, 2024, and December 12, 2025, are extended through July 1, 2026, per court order.
