Date: April 9, 2026

Contact:  Assefash Makonnen, press@africans.us; 646-629-7131
                Nargis Aslami, nargis@muslimadvocates.org; 202-897-1895
                Souzen Joseph, SJoseph@haitianbridge.org;  917-399-0128

Advocates Win Termination Postponement in Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia Lawsuit

Ethiopian immigrants and advocacy organizations are celebrating securing a postponement in the lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia.

(Boston, M.A.) – Yesterday, ​​U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy granted a request to postpone the effective date of Ethiopia’s TPS termination in African Communities Together v. Noem, a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of TPS for Ethiopia. The lawsuit filed by African Communities Together (ACT) and three Ethiopian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders seeks to ultimately vacate the February 13, 2026, termination of the program that has been providing critical protections to thousands of Ethiopians and their families who have built lives in the United States while their home country remains engulfed in armed conflict and life-threatening humanitarian crises. The Plaintiffs are represented by Muslim Advocates, Haitian Bridge Alliance, and Covington & Burling LLP, and the lawsuit is coordinated by Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP).

“We are celebrating alongside over 5,000 of our neighbors who can finally exhale and get back to their lives. This is not the end of our fight. It is just the beginning of a relentless struggle to save TPS, to protect millions of immigrants, and restore justice in our immigration system,” said Amaha Kassa, Executive Director of African Communities Together (ACT). “

““This ruling marks an important step toward halting a pattern of actions that perpetuate racial animus against Black, Asian, Arab, and immigrant communities of color by the Trump administration,” said Carolyn Tran, Executive Director of Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP). “The treatment of Ethiopian TPS holders cannot be divorced from this broader context of discrimination. Like all TPS beneficiaries, they deserve the right to live and work free from policies or decisions tainted by bias, and without the constant threat of being returned to unsafe and unstable conditions.”

“We are grateful for the Court’s order recognizing the irreparable harm our clients would face if this unlawful termination of TPS for Ethiopia were allowed to proceed,” said Erik Crew, Staff Attorney at Haitian Bridge Alliance.

“Yesterday’s decision and order postponing the termination of TPS for Ethiopia reaffirms ‘the principle that the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress,’” said Nargis Aslami, Legal Fellow at Muslim Advocates. “This decision is a critical win for the Ethiopian community, as well as the larger community of TPS-holders, whose lives are directly impacted by this administration’s lawless and racist agenda to eliminate the TPS program wholesale. While the postponement provides Ethiopian TPS-holders with some reprieve, we continue in our fight to protect their rights and ensure that the rule of law is upheld.”

The lawsuit challenges the procedural deficiencies in the government’s periodic review of Ethiopia’s TPS designation and sought emergency relief, in the form of termination postponement, to prevent irreparable harm to Ethiopian community members as a result of the unlawful termination. The judge initially granted an administrative stay to give both parties an opportunity to brief the court. Yesterday’s postponement will be in effect during the pendency of the litigation, unless and until a contrary court order overrides it.

For years, the U.S. government has designated and redesignated Ethiopia for TPS in recognition of the armed conflict that makes 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.

Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP) is a national collaborative of grassroots immigrant-led organizations working together to win permanent status for our members and communities, and build a more inclusive immigrant rights movement that centers the needs and experiences of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, Arab/Middle Eastern, and Asian & Pacific Islander immigrants.

African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide.

Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization that uses litigation, policy engagement, and communications strategies to promote justice and equity while protecting the diverse spectrum of Muslim communities from anti-Muslim discrimination in all of its forms.

Haitian Bridge Alliance advocates for fair and humane immigration policies and provides migrants and immigrants with humanitarian, legal, and social services, with a particular focus on Black people, the Haitian community, women and girls, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and survivors of torture and other human rights abuses.

Covington & Burling LLP has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service. The firm is frequently recognized for its pro bono service, including being ranked 12 times as the number one pro bono practice in the U.S. by The American Lawyer. Much of the firm’s pro bono work is anchored in meeting local needs, serving economically disadvantaged individuals and families in our surrounding communities, and in its long history of serving vulnerable clients and important causes throughout the U.S. and the world.