Over 5,000 Ethiopians Face Deportation as Trump Ends Protection Status
Washington, 25 January 2026
The Trump administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopian nationals, putting over 5,000 people at risk of deportation by 13th February 2026. Immigrant rights advocates have filed an emergency lawsuit in federal court, arguing the decision was motivated by racial discrimination rather than objective assessment of conditions in Ethiopia. The case highlights broader administration efforts to dismantle humanitarian protections, with similar challenges already filed for other nationalities including Syrians, Venezuelans, and Haitians.
Legal Challenge Filed in Federal Court
On 22nd January 2026, African Communities Together filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate Ethiopia’s Temporary Protected Status [4]. The complaint, filed alongside three Ethiopian nationals—Samuel Doe, Stephen Doe, and Abal Doe—alleges that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unlawfully terminated the Ethiopians’ legal status based on unconstitutional animus against non-white immigrants [1]. The lawsuit specifically argues that the administration’s review was “motivated wrongly by politics and racism and ignored the rule of law, including the requirement to consider objective evidence of unsafe conditions in Ethiopia,” according to Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together [1].
Imminent Deadline Creates Urgency
The termination becomes effective at 23:59 on 13th February 2026, giving affected Ethiopians just three weeks from the lawsuit filing date to secure legal protection [4]. This tight timeline has prompted immigrant rights advocates to seek emergency relief to halt the status termination [3]. The DHS announced the termination on 12th December 2025, providing approximately two months’ notice to the affected population [1][6]. Over 5,000 people risk losing their temporary protected status after the February deadline [1], potentially forcing them to return to a country experiencing ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crises.
Broader Pattern of TPS Eliminations
Ethiopia joins a growing list of countries whose TPS designations the Trump administration has moved to terminate. The administration has ended protections for nationals from Syria (19th September 2025), Venezuela (3rd September 2025), Haiti (1st July 2025), Nicaragua (7th July 2025), and South Sudan [1]. Additionally, DHS is terminating Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status designation, effective 17th March 2026 [8]. However, the administration’s efforts have faced significant legal resistance, with a U.S. judge halting the end of deportation protections for South Sudanese migrants on 30th December 2025 [1]. Numerous lawsuits have challenged these termination attempts, leading to court rulings that have slowed or halted the administration’s efforts [1].
Policy Context and Administrative Response
The Biden administration originally granted Temporary Protected Status to Ethiopians in the U.S. beginning in 2022 due to armed conflict in Ethiopia [1][4]. TPS provides work authorisation and protection from deportation for people from countries experiencing natural disasters, armed conflicts, or extraordinary events [1]. The Trump administration’s approach represents a significant policy shift, with Homeland Security Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stating that TPS “was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades” [1]. This termination also coincides with broader immigration restrictions, including a temporary pause on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Ethiopia, announced by the Department of State effective 21st January 2026 [8].