Federal judge blocks Trump's move to end Ethiopia TPS protections

Key Points:

• A Biden-appointed federal judge in Massachusetts, Brian Murphy, issued an administrative stay preserving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for Ethiopian nationals, challenging the Trump administration's effort to end TPS despite a recent Supreme Court ruling limiting lower courts' authority over such decisions.
• The Supreme Court's June 2025 decision in Mullin v. Doe narrowed the ability of lower courts to block Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decisions regarding TPS, but left open the possibility for constitutional claims, which plaintiffs are now pursuing.
• DHS General Counsel James Percival criticized Judge Murphy's ruling, accusing him of defying the Supreme Court and referencing Murphy's previous order that halted a deportation flight to South Sudan, which led to ICE officers facing dangerous conditions abroad.
• Another Massachusetts judge, Patti Saris, also temporarily halted the termination of TPS for South Sudan nationals, leading to calls from some conservative activists for the Trump administration to ignore these lower court rulings as "lawless."
• The Biden administration initially granted TPS to Ethiopians in 2022 due to armed conflict and humanitarian crises, with protections extended through December 2025; approximately 26,700 Ethiopian nationals in the U.S. could be affected by the ongoing litigation.