Judge Lifts Final Block on Ethiopia TPS Terminations

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy lifted an administrative stay on August 18, 2026, allowing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 5,000 Ethiopian nationals. This ruling removes the final judicial barrier to the Trump administration's broader effort to end TPS for 13 countries, including Haiti, Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, and South Sudan, leaving over one million people eligible for immediate deportation.

The decision follows a June 2026 Supreme Court ruling in Mullin v. Doe, which limited the ability of federal courts to review DHS decisions regarding TPS designations. While Judge Murphy dismissed statutory arguments and claims that the agency lacked legal authority, he allowed plaintiffs to continue litigating whether the terminations were motivated by racial or national-origin discrimination.

Following the ruling, DHS officials ordered affected individuals to leave the United States within 60 days or face swift deportation. Enforcement has already intensified in Springfield, Ohio, where Haitian immigrants are being fitted with ankle monitors. DHS General Counsel James Percival and Secretary Markwayne Mullin characterized the TPS program as a "de facto amnesty," asserting that those with terminated status are now in the country illegally.

Advocacy group African Communities Together challenged the move, arguing that ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, including drone strikes in Tigray and insurgencies in Oromia and Amhara, puts thousands of lives at severe risk. Simultaneously, reports indicate U.S. refugee admissions have hit a record low in fiscal year 2026, with the annual ceiling lowered to 17,500.