A federal district judge in Massachusetts has handed Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders from Ethiopia—and the U.S. employers who rely on their labor—a major reprieve. In a 45-page decision issued late on April 9, Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the Trump administration’s effort to terminate Ethiopia’s TPS designation violated the Administrative Procedure Act because officials failed to consider humanitarian evidence and the economic disruption that a sudden mass departure would cause. More than 5,000 Ethiopians have lived and worked legally in the United States since civil conflict and drought triggered the original TPS designation in 2021.
![Federal Judge Blocks Attempt to End TPS for Ethiopians]()
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TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent the removal of foreign nationals to countries suffering “extraordinary and temporary conditions.” It grants 18-month work-authorized status that can be renewed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Until now, the second Trump administration had terminated TPS for 13 of the 17 countries protected during the Biden years, arguing that the underlying emergencies had abated. Migrant-advocacy groups and Fortune 500 employers countered that wholesale terminations would exacerbate labor shortages in construction, health care and food processing while breaking apart mixed-status families. In his ruling, Judge Murphy said DHS ignored expert findings from the State Department, the United Nations and several multinational companies operating in Ethiopia, all of which warned that deportees would face “substantial risk to life and limb.” The court also faulted DHS for failing to perform the cost-benefit analysis required under Executive Order 12866, noting that TPS holders collectively pay an estimated US $190 million in federal, state and local taxes each year. Practically, the injunction means Ethiopian TPS will remain in force while litigation continues—likely through the 2026–2027 Supreme Court term. Employers should continue to treat TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents as valid work authorization and may extend expiring I-9 documents for up to 540 days under existing automatic-extension rules. Immigration counsel nevertheless recommend updating mobility policies to account for possible future terminations and to explore alternate visa strategies (e.g., EB-3, EB-2 NIW) for key personnel. For multinational HR teams, the decision is a reminder to map workforce exposure country-by-country; similar lawsuits covering TPS for Haiti, Syria and Venezuela are moving through federal courts and could change employment eligibility with little notice.
For companies and individuals now looking into long-term solutions such as employment-based visas or travel permits, VisaHQ can help streamline the paperwork and filing process. The platform offers step-by-step guidance, real-time status tracking, and dedicated customer support for a wide range of U.S. immigration applications—visit https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ to learn more about how it can reduce administrative headaches while ensuring compliance.
TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent the removal of foreign nationals to countries suffering “extraordinary and temporary conditions.” It grants 18-month work-authorized status that can be renewed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Until now, the second Trump administration had terminated TPS for 13 of the 17 countries protected during the Biden years, arguing that the underlying emergencies had abated. Migrant-advocacy groups and Fortune 500 employers countered that wholesale terminations would exacerbate labor shortages in construction, health care and food processing while breaking apart mixed-status families. In his ruling, Judge Murphy said DHS ignored expert findings from the State Department, the United Nations and several multinational companies operating in Ethiopia, all of which warned that deportees would face “substantial risk to life and limb.” The court also faulted DHS for failing to perform the cost-benefit analysis required under Executive Order 12866, noting that TPS holders collectively pay an estimated US $190 million in federal, state and local taxes each year. Practically, the injunction means Ethiopian TPS will remain in force while litigation continues—likely through the 2026–2027 Supreme Court term. Employers should continue to treat TPS-based Employment Authorization Documents as valid work authorization and may extend expiring I-9 documents for up to 540 days under existing automatic-extension rules. Immigration counsel nevertheless recommend updating mobility policies to account for possible future terminations and to explore alternate visa strategies (e.g., EB-3, EB-2 NIW) for key personnel. For multinational HR teams, the decision is a reminder to map workforce exposure country-by-country; similar lawsuits covering TPS for Haiti, Syria and Venezuela are moving through federal courts and could change employment eligibility with little notice.
