Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempt to End Protections for Ethiopian Immigrants

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 5,000 Ethiopians living in the United States. The ruling, handed down by District Judge Brian Murphy, marks a significant legal setback for the administration’s broader campaign to roll back protections for immigrants from non-Western countries.

TPS allows eligible immigrants to remain and work in the U.S. when their home countries are deemed unsafe due to conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Ethiopians were granted TPS in 2022 under President Biden’s administration amid ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crises in Ethiopia. Their status was extended in April 2024.

Judge Murphy’s decision underscores the constitutional principle that the president cannot override Congress’s statutory authority. Murphy wrote, “Fundamental to this case — and indeed to our constitutional system — is the principle that the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress. Presidential whims do not and cannot supplant agencies’ statutory obligations.”

The ruling specifically criticized an executive order Trump signed in January 2025, which directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review TPS designations for “appropriateness” and effectively gave the agency a “pretextual” reason to end protections without a genuine assessment of conditions in the countries involved. Murphy noted this approach “sent the signal that the outcome of designation, extension, and termination decisions will be preordained, rather than based on a meaningful review of in-country conditions.”

The Trump administration has targeted TPS for 13 countries as part of its broader effort to clamp down on immigration and deport individuals already living in the U.S. The DHS spokesperson dismissed the ruling as “just the latest example of judicial activists trying to prevent President Trump from restoring integrity to America’s legal immigration system,” reflecting the administration’s combative stance toward the courts.

This ruling fits a pattern of Trump’s authoritarian overreach, where executive orders and agency actions have sought to dismantle protections for immigrants and undermine democratic norms. By ignoring the legal framework Congress set for TPS, the administration demonstrated its willingness to sidestep the rule of law to achieve its anti-immigrant goals.

For the thousands of Ethiopians relying on TPS, this decision means continued safety from deportation and the ability to live and work without fear. For advocates and defenders of immigration rights, it is a crucial rebuke of the Trump administration’s attempts to weaponize immigration policy against vulnerable communities.