Trump administration could end TPS for Ethiopians, report says
Reports have raised concerns that the Trump administration could pursue the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopians living in the United States, mirroring the approach taken with Haitian beneficiaries of the program, according to TheGrio.
TPS is a humanitarian immigration designation created by Congress in 1990. It allows nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to remain in the United States legally and to work, provided their home country is deemed too unsafe for return. The status is granted by the secretary of homeland security, typically in 18-month increments, and does not directly lead to permanent residency.
Ethiopia has been among the African nations designated for TPS, with protections linked to the country’s prolonged armed conflicts and humanitarian crises, particularly in northern regions. The Ethiopian diaspora in the United States is sizeable, with long-settled communities in metropolitan areas including Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.
Haiti’s TPS, originally granted after the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake, has been a focal point of U.S. immigration debates. The Trump administration’s decision to terminate Haitian TPS set the stage for legal challenges, court rulings, and broader debates about how the United States handles large groups of migrants from nations with severe instability.
The pattern of the administration advancing TPS terminations for multiple countries has drawn scrutiny from immigration advocates, legal scholars, and members of Congress, several of whom have argued that returning nationals to countries with active conflict or collapsing public services raises humanitarian and legal concerns. Any move toward an Ethiopian TPS termination would likely prompt similar legal and political responses.
As TheGrio reported, the prospect of applying a Haiti-style termination to Ethiopians has prompted renewed attention to the scope of Temporary Protected Status and the conditions under which the United States withdraws humanitarian relief from communities that have built lives in the country for years.
Sources
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