US Court Allows Trump Administration to End Protections for Ethiopians

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump's administration can revoke legal protections shielding more than 5,000 Ethiopians from deportation.

On October 21, District Judge Brian Murphy gave the green light to ending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for this group — a legal status that allows foreign nationals in the U.S. to remain and obtain work permits, based on conditions in their home country being unsafe for return.

Since returning to the White House for a second term in 2025, Trump has sought to end TPS for various nationalities. The October 21 ruling removed the last legal barrier preventing the government from ending TPS for individual countries.

Administration officials welcomed the ruling. James Percival, General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, wrote on social media: “Judge Brian Murphy just lifted the injunction on ending TPS for Ethiopia. All TPS terminations are effective!”

The decision follows a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in June that limited judicial review of DHS efforts to end TPS. While the Supreme Court’s decision focused on Syrians and Haitians, it also had broad implications for citizens of other nationalities challenging early TPS termination.

According to statistics, approximately 1.29 million people were living in the U.S. under TPS as of March. They represent 17 countries the U.S. government deems unsafe or unstable. However, the Trump administration has sought to end TPS for at least 13 of those nationalities, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, South Sudan, and Somalia.

The Pew Research Center estimates that TPS cancellations will affect at least one million people enrolled in the program this year.

Trump has pursued a large-scale campaign to restrict immigration and ramp up deportations since starting his second term. Ending TPS is part of that plan. His administration argues that repeatedly extending TPS makes it no longer “temporary” but long-term.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote on social media: “Temporary Protected Status is TEMPORARY.” He warned those whose status is terminated: “If you are on our soil and your status has been terminated, you are ILLEGALLY here. You have two options: leave immediately or be swiftly deported.”

Critics, however, point out that TPS is being revoked for groups whose home countries still face civil conflict, natural disasters, and other dangers.

Ethiopians in the U.S. were first granted TPS under former President Joe Biden in 2022 due to concerns about violent conflict and humanitarian conditions in Ethiopia. The State Department currently lists the country at Level Three travel advisory on a four-level scale, warning citizens not to travel there due to “unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism [and] landmines.”

DHS first announced in December that it would end TPS for Ethiopians, citing conditions in the country “no longer posing a serious threat to the personal safety of returning Ethiopian nationals.” Human rights groups, in contrast, argue the decision does not reflect the reality on the ground in Ethiopia.

Diana Konate, deputy executive director for policy and advocacy at African Communities Together, told Reuters: “The crisis in Ethiopia is ongoing, and this decision pushes thousands of Ethiopians living in the U.S. into serious risk.”

Earlier, Judge Murphy had temporarily stalled the effort to end TPS for Ethiopians while considering issues not resolved by the Supreme Court in its June ruling. The court heard arguments that the law grants the power to terminate TPS before expiry to the Attorney General, not DHS. But ultimately, Murphy rejected that argument. The October 21 ruling leaves open the possibility of appeal on grounds that the Trump administration is driven by discriminatory motives against specific races or nationalities.