Ethiopian TPS recipients will continue to hold the status while the case proceedings continue. 

(Boston, M.A.) – On Thursday, March 26th, the Court extended the temporary pause against the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia, after hearing oral arguments in the African Communities Together, et al., v. Noem, et al. lawsuit. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the Administration’s review and resulting termination of the status were back in federal court to fight for the thousands of Ethiopians who would face severe harm if the termination were to unlawfully take effect. Plaintiffs in the case are African Communities Together, on behalf of its members, and three Ethiopian nationals who would face severe harm if the termination were to take effect unlawfully and imminently. They are represented by Muslim Advocates, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Covington & Burling LLP, and their lawsuit is supported by Communities United for Status and Protection.

The Court heard arguments from both sides on whether or not the Court should order the postponement of the termination, while it adjudicates the Plaintiffs’ underlying legal claims that the review process leading to the termination decision was unlawful. 

Counsel for Plaintiffs urged that the Court presiding over this lawsuit should postpone the termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation, based on: the lack of clarity about what legal issues the Supreme Court will or won’t reach in the other TPS cases; the severity of harm to thousands of Ethiopian beneficiaries of TPS, including the Plaintiffs themselves, if the termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation were to take effect imminently and unlawfully; and the strength of Plaintiffs’ underlying legal arguments that the review of Ethiopia’s TPS designation was procedurally defective and tainted by pretext, political influence, and discrimination. 

The hearing concluded with the Court stating that it would try to issue its decision quickly, and, in the meantime, the Court is continuing the administrative stay against the effective date of the termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation, meaning that Ethiopia’s TPS designation will remain legally intact unless a subsequent and contrary Court order is issued. This also means that any related benefits will continue to be available to TPS holders, including work authorization and driver’s licenses. 

For years, the U.S. government has designated and redesignated Ethiopia for TPS in recognition of the armed conflict and extraordinary conditions that make it unsafe for Ethiopian nationals to return. These dangerous conditions persist today, with Ethiopia continuing to face active armed conflict across multiple regions, widespread displacement affecting millions, severe food insecurity, and the breakdown of essential infrastructure and services. 

Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian protection established by Congress to prevent deportations to countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.