Full Breakdown
Trump Administration Clears Final Judicial Block to End Ethiopian TPS
8/19/2026, 2:08:28 AM
Core Event: Judge Lifts Stay on Ethiopian TPS Termination
On August 18, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston lifted the last administrative stay that had prevented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian nationals. The ruling removes the final legal obstacle to ending protections for roughly 5,000 Ethiopians who have been authorized to live and work in the United States under TPS.
Background & Context
TPS is a humanitarian program created by the Immigration Act of November 29, 1990 that grants temporary work authorization and protection from removal to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. Ethiopia was first designated for TPS in 2022 after armed conflict and severe climatic shocks escalated. The Biden administration extended the designation in 2022 and again in 2024, citing ongoing violence. In December 2025, DHS announced it would end the designation, arguing that conditions had improved enough to allow safe return.
The legal landscape shifted after a June 3 Supreme Court decision (6-3) that limited federal courts’ ability to review DHS decisions to terminate TPS, first applied to Haiti and Syria and later used to support the Ethiopian case.
Data & Statistics
- ? 5,000 Ethiopian nationals were covered by TPS at the time of the ruling.
- Nationwide, ? 1.29 million people were living in the U.S. under TPS for 17 designated countries.
- The Trump administration has moved to terminate TPS for 13 of those countries, affecting roughly 1 million recipients.
Criticism & Opposition
African Communities Together, the advocacy group that filed the lawsuit, argues that the termination ignores the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. The group’s deputy executive director of policy and advocacy, Diana Konaté, warned that the decision endangers thousands of Ethiopians living in the United States.
The plaintiffs also contend that the termination may be motivated by racial or national-origin animus, alleging a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Judge Murphy allowed this constitutional claim to proceed while dismissing other procedural challenges.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Legal scholars disagree over which agency holds statutory authority to end TPS. Some argue that the 1990 statute assigns that power exclusively to the Attorney General, not to DHS, which was created after September 11, 2001. Recent district court rulings, however, have rejected this interpretation, holding that DHS may lawfully terminate TPS. The dispute remains unresolved, and the courts have not definitively settled the statutory question.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The crisis in Ethiopia is still ongoing, and this decision puts the lives of thousands of Ethiopians living in the U.S. at severe risk,” — Diana Konaté, the organization's deputy executive director of policy and advocacy
- “Judge Brian Murphy just lifted the stay of Ethiopia TPS termination,” — Department
