Judge pauses termination of temporary protected status for Ethiopians in U.S.

A federal judge in Massachusetts has postponed the planned end of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians, finding the earlier termination attempt unlawful. The Department of Homeland Security had announced in December that protections would end on Feb. 13.

A federal judge in Massachusetts has postponed the planned end of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians living in the United States. The judge found that the administration's attempt to terminate the designation did not follow the process laid out by Congress. The designation for Ethiopians was first granted beginning in 2022 and was extended in 2024. The Department of Homeland Security had announced in December that Ethiopia "no longer met the conditions" and that protections would terminate on Feb. 13. Key details: - U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued the order postponing the termination and said the earlier action was unlawful. - The judge wrote that the termination was carried out without following the statutory process required by Congress and that agencies must meet their legal obligations. - DHS announced in December that it would end TPS for Ethiopia, setting a termination date of Feb. 13. - TPS for Ethiopians was granted beginning in 2022 under the Biden administration and was extended in 2024. - The ruling is part of broader litigation over TPS; the administration has sought to end designations for multiple countries, and the Supreme Court will hear related arguments in late April concerning Syrian and Haitian nationals. Summary: The court order preserves Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians while the legal challenge proceeds. Undetermined at this time.