On Tuesday, a federal district court judge in the District of Massachusetts allowed the termination of Ethiopia’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation to move forward. In its order, the court lifted the administrative stay, which had paused the termination, and denied the Plaintiffs’ request for relief while granting the government’s request to dismiss the case, except for the Plaintiffs’ Equal Protection claim, which will continue to be litigated. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint arguing that the termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation discriminated on the basis of race. The complaint also contained new claims that the termination violated the due process rights of Ethiopian TPS holders and that the government official who purportedly terminated Ethiopia’s TPS designation did not have the legal authority to do so.

The Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are African Communities Together (ACT) and three Ethiopian Community members who have lived and worked in the U.S. for many years. They now face
significant harms from the termination, among them detention, deportation, loss of work authorization, and separation from their family members, loved ones, and communities. The Plaintiffs are represented by Muslim Advocates, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Covington & Burling, in a lawsuit supported by Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP).

The Plaintiffs and their legal representatives made the following statement:

“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. Today’s decision is another devastating loss for Ethiopian TPS holders, who face dangerous conditions should they be forced to return to an unsafe country. Today’s decision exposes Ethiopian community members to removal proceedings, family separation, and other catastrophic harms.”

For those impacted by this decision, we recommend these next steps:

• Consult an individual immigration attorney and speak to them as soon as possible
  about any other pathways to legal status.
• Review the following resource materials:
  • Emergency Planning Guide (note: you have to click on the arrow next to “click to
    download resource” to see the guide)
  • Emergency Preparedness Form
  • Family Preparedness Plan
  • ACLU page on Know Your Rights for Immigrants
  • National Immigration Legal Services Directory
  • Database of private immigration lawyers — attorneys who charge fees for their
    services
  • National Immigration Project Practice Advisory on options for people losing TPS.
  • Pro Se Plus Project, which is a collaboration of legal service providers and
    community-based organizations supporting immigrants representing themselves
    in immigration proceedings

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