Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempt to End Ethiopia TPS

Boston, April 8 — A U.S. District Judge in Boston, Brian Murphy, halted the Trump administration’s effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia, keeping legal protection for more than 5,000 Ethiopian nationals alive while litigation proceeds.

Murphy, a Biden‑appointed judge, ruled that the Department of Homeland Security “likely disregarded the procedural safeguards Congress built into the TPS program,” and that presidential directives cannot override statutory obligations. The decision follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025 that ordered a sweeping cut to TPS designations for 13 countries.

TPS, created in 1990, shields citizens of nations experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster or other extraordinary conditions from deportation and grants work authorization. Ethiopia has been in the program since the Trump administration’s second term.

The judge granted a temporary stay, preventing the termination from taking effect and signaling a legal setback for the administration’s hard‑line immigration agenda. DHS has indicated it will appeal, but the ruling underscores the courts’ willingness to enforce congressional intent over executive expediency.