The United States terminates Ethiopians’ temporary legal status
The U.S. is terminating temporary legal status for Ethiopian citizens residing in the United States, as stated in a government notice released on Friday, reflecting the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to address both legal and illegal immigration.
“Following an assessment of the country’s conditions and discussions with relevant U.S. Government agencies, the Secretary concluded that Ethiopia no longer qualifies for the designation of Temporary Protected Status,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a notice published in the Federal Register.
Temporary Protected Status is granted to individuals from countries that have faced a natural disaster, armed conflict, or other significant events. It grants qualified migrants the ability to work and offers temporary safeguards against deportation.
The program originated in 1991 and was expanded under Biden to include approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and 521,000 Haitians. Noem reversed the extensions in February, stating that they were no longer warranted.
Recently, the administration has rescinded the protective status for migrants from several countries, such as Haiti, Myanmar, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. In November, Trump declared the end of protections for Somalis residing in Minnesota.
Trump has prioritized immigration control as a key focus of his second term in the White House. Ending TPS protections serves to enhance the administration’s efforts to deport millions of individuals.
The court has been presented with challenges regarding the cancellations.
In October, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to move forward with revoking TPS for numerous Venezuelan migrants in the United States, agreeing to pause a federal judge’s decision that Noem did not have the authority to end the status while the litigation is ongoing.
On Friday, the Homeland Security department announced that it would cease processing legacy cases under the Cuban and Haitian family reunification parole program, as stated in a post in the Federal Register. These programs facilitate the process for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to reunite with family members in the country.
