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A United States federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking deportation protections for thousands of Ethiopian nationals, dealing another blow to efforts to scale back immigration safeguards.
US District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston on Friday paused a policy that would have required more than 5,000 Ethiopians to leave the country by February 13 or risk detention and removal, according to Aljazeera.
The decision halts the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopians, at least for now.
The ruling marks the latest legal obstacle for the administration’s wider campaign to end temporary protections for over one million migrants from several countries.
Read more: Over 90 Ethiopians detained as immigration bursts suspected smuggling network
Delivering his decision during a virtual hearing, Judge Murphy said the delay would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit records detailing how it reached the decision to end the protections, before he considers whether to block the policy on a longer-term basis.
“I want to do everything I can to keep this case going,” Murphy said.
The case was filed by three Ethiopian nationals alongside the advocacy organisation African Communities Together, following a December announcement by DHS that it was ending TPS for Ethiopia.
The protections were originally granted in 2022 due to instability in the country.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that the administration unlawfully terminated the status with only 60 days’ notice, despite continued armed conflict and insecurity in Ethiopia.
They also allege that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acted out of an “unconstitutional animus against non-white immigrants.”
The legal challenge comes as the US State Department continues to caution American citizens against travel to Ethiopia, citing sporadic violence, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, kidnappings and disruptions to communications.
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