Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on December 12 that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia will end on July 11, 2026, following a mandatory six-month wind-down period. The decision, published in the Federal Register, affects an estimated 30,700 Ethiopians who have lived and worked legally in the United States since TPS was first granted in 2022 amid civil conflict.
DHS said conditions in Ethiopia have "improved sufficiently" to permit safe return, citing the November 2024 cessation of hostilities between federal forces and Tigrayan rebels. Advocacy groups dispute that assessment, pointing to ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia regions and the country’s worst drought in forty years.
Ending TPS will strip beneficiaries of work authorization and protection from deportation. Unless litigation intervenes, affected individuals must either depart, adjust to another status, or face removal proceedings after July 11. Immigration lawyers expect a surge in asylum claims and employer I-9 reverifications early next year.
![U.S. Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians, Affecting 30,700 Residents]()
If you are weighing options after TPS ends, VisaHQ can streamline applications for alternative U.S. visas—such as student, employment-based, or humanitarian categories—and advise on travel documentation for those planning departure and re-entry. Explore their step-by-step tools and personalized support at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ to avoid gaps in status and stay compliant with evolving DHS requirements.
The move continues a broader rollback of humanitarian programs: in the past three months DHS has also moved to end TPS for Haiti, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Somalia. Critics say the administration is weaponizing humanitarian designations to pressure migrants to leave, while supporters argue TPS was never meant to become a de-facto permanent status.
Companies employing large Ethiopian workforces in healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing should immediately audit compliance and craft retention strategies—such as EB-3 green-card sponsorship—before the grace period expires.
DHS said conditions in Ethiopia have "improved sufficiently" to permit safe return, citing the November 2024 cessation of hostilities between federal forces and Tigrayan rebels. Advocacy groups dispute that assessment, pointing to ongoing violence in Amhara and Oromia regions and the country’s worst drought in forty years.
Ending TPS will strip beneficiaries of work authorization and protection from deportation. Unless litigation intervenes, affected individuals must either depart, adjust to another status, or face removal proceedings after July 11. Immigration lawyers expect a surge in asylum claims and employer I-9 reverifications early next year.
If you are weighing options after TPS ends, VisaHQ can streamline applications for alternative U.S. visas—such as student, employment-based, or humanitarian categories—and advise on travel documentation for those planning departure and re-entry. Explore their step-by-step tools and personalized support at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ to avoid gaps in status and stay compliant with evolving DHS requirements.
The move continues a broader rollback of humanitarian programs: in the past three months DHS has also moved to end TPS for Haiti, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Somalia. Critics say the administration is weaponizing humanitarian designations to pressure migrants to leave, while supporters argue TPS was never meant to become a de-facto permanent status.
Companies employing large Ethiopian workforces in healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing should immediately audit compliance and craft retention strategies—such as EB-3 green-card sponsorship—before the grace period expires.
