Judge Pauses the TPS End
A federal judge in Boston has put President Trump’s plan to end Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians on hold. Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee, said the administration did not follow the proper process when it moved to cancel the protection. For now, that keeps TPS in place for more than 5,000 Ethiopians who have been allowed to live and work in the United States. Washington loves a deadline right up until a judge treats it like a suggestion.
How the Case Reached Court
The Biden administration first granted TPS to Ethiopians in 2022, then extended it again in April 2024. That extension expired on Feb. 13, 2026. After returning to office in January 2025, Trump moved to roll back several TPS designations and told the Department of Homeland Security to narrow the program. DHS later said it reviewed country conditions and consulted other agencies before deciding Ethiopia no longer met the standard. The agency also said it disagreed with the ruling, which is the usual federal response to being told no in public.
What Comes Next
Murphy had already issued a temporary restraining order earlier this year, so this is not the first time the administration’s plan has been delayed. The case is one of several fights over TPS, a program that was sold as temporary but often behaves like it has a permanent parking spot. The Supreme Court has recently sided with DHS in other TPS disputes, and it will hear arguments this month over Trump’s effort to end protections for large groups from Haiti and Syria. So the bigger question is not just what happens in Ethiopia, but whether “temporary” still means anything in federal immigration policy.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
Leave a Comment