Judge Blocks Donald Trump Plan to Deport Thousands of Ethiopians, Says the Administration Acted Illegally

A federal judge has stepped in to bar the Trump administration's plan to deport 5,000 Ethiopians from the United States, ruling that the policy was carried out without following proper legal procedures and could not proceed as planned.

​US District Judge Brian Murphy cited that the Trump administration's termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation that allowed citizens from 13 nations to live and work in the United States, was done 'without regard for the process delineated by Congress,' per AP News.

​Dispute Over TPS Termination

​The decision comes amid an ongoing dispute over the administration's attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 5,000 Ethiopians living in the country.

TPS is a humanitarian program created by Congress that allows people from designated nations experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other conditions to live and work legally in the US while conditions remain unsafe for return, per Reuters.

​The court found that the Department of Homeland Security did not properly follow required procedures when it moved to terminate protections for citizens of Ethiopia, a nation where 'armed conflict ​and natural disasters continue to create dangerous conditions.'​

'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. Presidential whims do not and cannot supplant agencies' statutory obligations,' Judge Murphy wrote.

​Judge's Reasoning; Legal Concerns

​According to Judge Murphy, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, it was not surprising that the Trump administration moved to end TPS for Ethiopians. He pointed to an executive order signed by Donald Trump after returning to office in January 2025,which instructed the DHS to make sure such protections were kept more limited in space.

​Judge Murphy said the move to end TPS 'signals that the outcome of designation, extension, and termination decisions will be preordained, rather than based on a meaningful review of in-country conditions.'

​The court decision temporarily halts the administration's plan to carry out deportations tied to the termination of TPS, at least while the case is being reviewed in court. The decision adds to a wider pattern of judicial rulings that have slowed or blocked federal immigration actions affecting TPS recipients from multiple countries.

​Legal Challenge and Next Steps

​In December, the Department of Homeland Security, under then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, announced plans to end TPS for Ethiopia, saying conditions in the country were no longer considered severe enough to prevent safe returns. DHS has said on multiple occasions that TPS was 'never ?meant to be a ticket to permanent residency.'

​During former US President Joe Biden's term, over 1 million migrants from 17 different countries were covered by the Temporary Protected Status. Since Donald Trump returned to office for a second term in January 2025, the DHS has moved to end that protection for 13 of those nations.

​Alongside the advocacy group African Communities Together, 3 Ethiopian nationals brought a legal challenge arguing that the Trump administration failed to properly consider the ongoing risks in their country, with armed conflicts still active in multiple regions, according to Reuters.

​On 30 January, Murphy issued a temporary order stopping the scheduled termination of TPS for Ethiopians on 13 February.