Micah Jonah
January 31, 2026
A United States federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s plan to end deportation protections for thousands of Ethiopians living in the country, delaying a policy that would have forced many to leave by mid-February.
Judge Brian Murphy of the federal court in Boston issued the order on Friday, halting a February 13 deadline that would have affected more than 5,000 Ethiopians granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The decision temporarily prevents arrests and deportations linked to the policy change.
The ruling marks another legal setback for the administration’s wider effort to roll back temporary immigration protections for over one million people from several countries.
Judge Murphy said the pause would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide records explaining how and why the decision to terminate Ethiopia’s TPS designation was made. He made the remarks during a virtual court hearing.
The case was filed by three Ethiopian nationals alongside advocacy group African Communities Together, following a DHS announcement in December ending TPS for Ethiopians, which was first granted in 2022.
The plaintiffs argued that the protections were withdrawn with only 60 days’ notice despite ongoing armed conflict and instability in Ethiopia. They also accused the administration of acting with unconstitutional bias against non-white immigrants.
The move to end TPS came even as the US State Department continues to warn American citizens against travelling to Ethiopia due to security risks including violence, civil unrest, crime and kidnapping.
The DHS has defended its decision, citing recent peace agreements such as the 2022 ceasefire in the Tigray region, despite reports of renewed clashes in parts of the country.
A spokesperson for the department said TPS was never meant to serve as a permanent immigration solution, arguing that previous administrations had extended it beyond its original intent.
The ruling follows another court decision earlier this week that found the administration unlawfully ended protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans.
Several other countries are also facing TPS terminations under the current immigration policy. About 350,000 Haitians are expected to lose their protections on February 3, while Somalis face a March 17 deadline, even as travel warnings remain in place for Somalia.
The ongoing legal battles come amid protests across parts of the United States against the administration’s deportation drive, which has intensified, nationwide.
