Judge Delays Ending Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians in U.S.

A federal judge has delayed the planned termination of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians in the United States. The judge found the administration did not follow statutory procedures.

Court decision

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued the order on Wednesday. He said the Trump administration ended the designation without following Congress’s required process.

Murphy stressed that the president cannot override statutory obligations. He noted agencies must adhere to the law when changing immigration protections.

Government response

The Department of Homeland Security criticized the stay in a statement to Filmogaz.com. DHS called the ruling an example of judicial activism and defended the decision to end the designation.

DHS argued that country conditions in Ethiopia have improved. The agency added, “Temporary means temporary,” and said the nation no longer met TPS requirements.

Program background

Temporary Protected Status allows people to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. It applies when armed conflict, disasters, or humanitarian crises prevent safe return.

Under the Biden administration, thousands of Ethiopians received TPS starting in 2022. The designation was extended in 2024.

Key dates and next steps

In December, DHS announced Ethiopia no longer met TPS conditions. The agency set a Feb. 13 termination date before the judge’s order paused that move.

The Trump administration has sought to end TPS for 13 countries. The Supreme Court will hear related arguments in late April over Syrian and Haitian cases.

Implications

The ruling preserves protections for many Ethiopian immigrants for now. The decision also raises legal questions about administrative procedure in immigration policy.