The Hill
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary deportation protections for thousands of Ethiopians, ruling on Wednesday that it likely disregarded the rules Congress set up for the program.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s decision keeps upwards of 5,000 Ethiopians enrolled in Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as a legal challenge proceeds.
“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 judge wrote.
Murphy was appointed to the bench by former President Biden.
Created in 1990, TPS protects foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home countries due to armed conflict, natural disaster or other temporary conditions. It prevents deportation and provides recipients with a pathway to work authorization.
Ethiopia was among the 17 countries in the program when President Trump began his second term. The country has long been host to ethnic strife and humanitarian disasters, but it was first designated in 2022 as fighting erupted in the country’s Tigray region.
As part of Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, his Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has looked to terminate most countries’ TPS designations. The DHS announced Ethiopia’s would be cut off in February.
The issue is now barreling toward the Supreme Court. The justices will hear oral arguments later this month on challenges to ending protections for Haiti and Syria.
The Trump administration argues conditions have changed in the various countries and they should no longer be part of TPS. In court, the administration has insisted its decisions are unreviewable and federal judges have no authority to intervene.
Murphy rejected that notion in his ruling, saying he had authority to hear the case. He went on to rule the DHS failed to consult with the proper agencies and its decision to end TPS for Ethiopians was pretextual.
“Perhaps it has been a banner year for disaster recovery and geopolitical stability worldwide. The evidence, and common sense, suggests otherwise,” the judge wrote.
The DHS condemned the ruling.
“This stay by radical, Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy is just the latest example of judicial activists trying to prevent President Trump from restoring integrity to America’s legal immigration system,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
“Temporary means temporary,” the statement continued. “Country conditions — including armed conflicts — in Ethiopia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. The Trump administration is putting Americans first.”
