Federal judge allows Trump administration to end deportation protections for thousands of Ethiopians

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy rules that the Trump administration can terminate Temporary Protected Status for over 5,000 Ethiopian immigrants. The decision lifts the final judicial block on the administration's efforts to end the humanitarian program for individual countries, following a June 2026 Supreme Court ruling that limited judicial oversight. While Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warns of swift deportations, advocacy groups argue the ongoing crisis in Ethiopia puts thousands of lives at risk.

Federal judge lifts TPS block

• ▪U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston ruled on August 18, 2026, to lift the final judicial block preventing the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for over 5,000 Ethiopians.
• ▪U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy rejected the plaintiffs' statutory argument that only the U.S. Attorney General, and not the Department of Homeland Security, has the authority to terminate Temporary Protected Status.

Supreme Court review limitations

• ▪A 6-3 conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2026 allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Syria and Haiti.
• ▪The June 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling restricted the authority of federal judges to review efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Temporary Protected Status designations.

Trump TPS termination policy

• ▪The Trump administration has sought to terminate Temporary Protected Status protections for at least 13 of the 17 countries designated under the program as of 2026.
• ▪U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned on August 18, 2026, that individuals whose Temporary Protected Status has been terminated must leave the United States immediately or face swift deportation.

Ethiopian conflict safety conditions

• ▪The Biden administration first granted Temporary Protected Status to eligible Ethiopian nationals in the United States on December 12, 2022, due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crises.
• ▪The Department of Homeland Security announced in December that it would end Ethiopia's Temporary Protected Status designation, asserting that conditions in the country no longer posed a serious threat to returning nationals.

Advocacy group legal challenge

• ▪The advocacy group African Communities Together and several Ethiopian nationals filed a lawsuit challenging the termination of Ethiopia's Temporary Protected Status designation.
• ▪U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the plaintiffs can proceed with litigation over whether the Department of Homeland Security's termination of Temporary Protected Status was motivated by unconstitutional racial or national origin animus.

Deportation risk for Ethiopians

• ▪The termination of Temporary Protected Status puts more than 5,000 Ethiopian immigrants living in the United States at risk of deportation.
• ▪Federal courts have recently cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status protections for immigrants from South Sudan, Somalia, and Myanmar.

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