More than 5,000 Ethiopians living and working in the United States face imminent deportation after a federal judge backed the Trump administration’s decision to terminate their temporary protected status. The Department of Homeland Security warned that all TPS terminations are now In Effect.
A U.S. federal judge backed President Donald Trump’s administration, ruling that immigration authorities can proceed with terminating the humanitarian designations that allowed thousands of foreign nationals to reside legally in the country.
The legal defeat lands directly on more than 5,000 Ethiopians who built lives under the protection. Federal authorities wasted no time signaling enforcement actions following the decision.
Federal Court Rejects Delay Request From Immigration Advocates
U.S. federal judge Brian E. Murphy issued the ruling on Tuesday, turning down a formal legal request brought forward by African Communities Together. The pro-African immigrant organisation asked the court to postpone the termination of Temporary Protected Status for the Ethiopian nationals.
The legal setback strips away work authorization and deportation shielding for a vulnerable population. With the court clearing the path, immigration enforcement officials moved swiftly to declare the protections null and void.
“All TPS terminations are now In Effect. Those with terminated TPS should leave now. If they don’t, we will deport them.”
Homeland Security, in a post on X
Origins of the Ethiopian Protection Program
The humanitarian protections originated during an earlier phase of turmoil in East Africa. Amid armed conflict in Ethiopia, the administration of former President Joe Biden granted an initial 18-month temporary protection from deportation to qualifying Ethiopian citizens in 2022.
As conditions failed to stabilize, the designation received a lifeline. In 2024, then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas extended TPS for Ethiopians, citing the lingering crisis inside the country.
Shifting Policy and the Trump Administration’s Stance
The court decision represents a stark policy reversal executed by the current administration. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem argued that conditions in the origin countries had improved sufficiently to warrant ending the humanitarian protections.
That justification mirrors actions taken against other protected groups. The ruling against the Ethiopian nationals arrived just one week after another federal judge upheld the administration’s decision to end legal protection against deportation for nearly 1,100 Somalis, following an announcement made in January.
The Immediate Stakes for Affected Communities
Despite these warnings, federal enforcement agencies hold the legal backing required to execute removals. With protections officially expired, thousands of families face the immediate choice between self-deportation and apprehension by immigration enforcement.
