US Federal Judge Clears Trump Administration to Revoke Deportation Protections for Thousands of Ethiopians

A United States federal judge has ruled that the administration of President Donald Trump can move forward with revoking legal protections that previously shielded more than 5,000 Ethiopians from deportation.

On Tuesday, US District Judge Brian Murphy granted approval for the termination of the group’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This legal category permits foreign nationals to remain in the US and apply for work authorization when conditions in their home countries are deemed unsafe for return. Since beginning his second term in office in 2025, President Trump has actively pursued the termination of TPS protections across multiple nationalities. Tuesday's ruling successfully removes the final judicial barrier that had blocked the government from ending TPS for individual nations.

Administration officials expressed strong support for the decision. “Judge Brian Murphy just lifted the stay of Ethiopia TPS termination,” Department of Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival shared in a social media statement. “All TPS terminations are in effect!”

This development follows a June 6-3 Supreme Court ruling that restricted the authority of courts to review efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to end TPS protections. Although that specific Supreme Court case centered on recipients from Syria and Haiti, its broader application affected individuals from various nationalities challenging the early termination of their status. By March, approximately 1.29 million people resided in the US under the TPS system, originating from 17 countries where the US government previously found conditions unsafe or unstable.

Nevertheless, the Trump administration has sought to eliminate TPS protections for at least 13 of those nationalities, including individuals hailing from Venezuela, Nicaragua, South Sudan, and Somalia. The Pew Research Center projects that these revocations will impact at least one million program participants this year. President Trump has prioritized large-scale immigration restrictions and increased deportations during his second term, utilizing TPS revocations as a core component of this strategy. Administration officials maintain that repeated extensions have transformed TPS from a temporary measure into a long-term arrangement.

“Temporary Protected Status is just that — TEMPORARY,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday regarding the recent ruling. He cautioned those affected by the cancellation of their legal status: “If you are in our nation and your status has been terminated, you are here ILLEGALLY. You have two options: leave immediately or be swiftly deported.”

Conversely, critics emphasize that TPS is being stripped from populations whose home countries continue to experience civil conflict, natural disasters, and persistent hazards. Ethiopians in the US initially received TPS in 2022 under former President Joe Biden due to acute violent conflict and humanitarian concerns within Ethiopia. The US State Department currently maintains a level-three travel advisory for the country, advising against travel because of unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and landmines.

The Department of Homeland Security initially announced in December its intent to end TPS for Ethiopians, arguing that conditions no longer presented a severe threat to the personal safety of returning nationals. However, advocacy groups contend that this assessment contradicts actual conditions on the ground. “The crisis in Ethiopia is still ongoing, and this decision puts the lives of thousands of Ethiopians living in the US at severe risk,” stated Diana Konate, deputy executive director of policy and advocacy for African Communities Together, in an interview with Reuters.

Previously, Judge Murphy had temporarily halted the administration's efforts regarding Ethiopians to evaluate legal questions left unaddressed by the Supreme Court's June decision. His court reviewed arguments that the attorney general, rather than the Department of Homeland Security, held the legal authority to end TPS protections prior to expiration. Although Judge Murphy ultimately rejected that argument, Tuesday's ruling leaves room for potential appeals centered on whether the Trump administration's actions were driven by animus toward specific races or nationalities.