Full Breakdown
Appeals Court Overturns District Court Blocks, Clearing Path for TPS Terminations for South Sudan and Ethiopia
8/1/2026, 1:09:18 AM
Core Event: First Circuit Rules in Favor of the Trump Administration
On July 29, 2026 the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a judgment that reversed district-court orders temporarily blocking the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of South Sudan and Ethiopia. The three-judge panel—Judges Julie Rikelman (appointed by President Joe Biden), Seth Aframe (Biden appointee) and Joshua Dunlap (appointed by President Donald Trump)—cited the Supreme Court’s June decision in **Mullin v.
Background & Context
TPS provides temporary legal status to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. The Trump administration has sought to end TPS for several countries, including Haiti, Syria, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The Supreme Court’s Mullin ruling sharply limited courts’ ability to block such terminations on non-constitutional grounds, prompting the administration to pursue terminations through the executive branch.
Timeline
- July 29, 2026 – First Circuit judgment clears the way for DHS to proceed with the South Sudan TPS termination.
- July 24 – A stay of the Ethiopia TPS termination was scheduled by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy pending further court action.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 4,500 Ethiopian TPS holders are directly affected by the appeals-court decision.
- The South Sudan case involves “hundreds” of TPS beneficiaries identified in court filings (e.g., Mary Doe, David Doe).
- For comparison, the administration’s earlier actions affect more than 350,000 Haitian TPS recipients and about 7,000 Syrian TPS recipients.
Official Statements & Responses
- DHS General Counsel James Percival denounced the district judges’ earlier orders as “mutiny against the Supreme Court” and “open defiance” of the justices’ decision.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These are clear wins for President Trump following his big win at the U.S. Supreme Court, explaining that district courts are not supposed to second guess TPS terminations, and even as this plays out, we're moving towards the end of this litigation because district courts should not be hearing these disputes, and that's what the Supreme Court said,” — Solicitor General Eric Wessan
- “If they want to let the plaintiffs amend their complaint, they're allowed to do that, but in the meantime, TPS is over," Wessan told Fox News Digital.” — Solicitor General Eric Wessan
What’s Next
The First Circuit’s decision does not itself order immediate removal of TPS holders, but it removes the legal barrier that had paused the terminations. DHS is expected to move forward with the termination process while the plaintiffs consider amending their complaints to raise constitutional claims. Further district-court actions, including any stays or dismissals of the amended complaints, remain pending.
