A Biden-appointed federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from allowing Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Ethiopians to expire. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a preliminary injunction halting the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) plan to terminate Temporary Protected Status designation for Ethiopians, which would have forced over 5,000 individuals already in the United States to leave the country.

Under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS announced in December that Ethiopia no longer met the criteria for TPS protections and would lose the status on February 13. The Biden administration initially granted TPS to Ethiopians in 2022 due to ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crises in the nation, extending the designation in April 2024. DHS stated the change was necessary because conditions in Ethiopia no longer posed a serious threat to safe returns for immigrants.

In his order, Judge Murphy ruled that the Trump administration terminated TPS “without regard for the process delineated by Congress,” emphasizing that presidential actions cannot override statutory obligations established by law. The judge noted: “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.”

DHS has repeatedly clarified that TPS was never intended as a path to permanent residency, but the court’s decision prevents the expiration of protections for Ethiopian immigrants who entered the country under Biden-era policies.