The United States has officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian nationals, giving thousands of affected residents 60 days to leave the country voluntarily, in a move that further narrows humanitarian immigration protections for African nationals.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the decision on Friday, saying Ethiopia no longer meets the statutory requirements for inclusion in the TPS programme.
“After reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies, the Secretary determined that Ethiopia no longer continues to meet the conditions for the designation for Temporary Protected Status,” Noem said in a notice published in the Federal Register.
Ethiopia removed after interagency review
Ethiopia was first designated for TPS on 12 December 2022, following armed conflict and what U.S. authorities described at the time as extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevented the safe return of its nationals.
In April 2024, then homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas extended Ethiopia’s TPS designation, reaffirming that conditions in the country continued to justify protection.
However, a subsequent interagency review by the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department, concluded that Ethiopia no longer met the legal threshold required for continued TPS coverage.
As a result, Ethiopian nationals currently protected under the programme now face the loss of legal status, work authorisation and access to certain social services in the United States.
South Sudan also removed from TPS
The decision follows the recent termination of TPS for South Sudan, after a similar review concluded that conditions there no longer satisfied the programme’s statutory requirements.
With Ethiopia and South Sudan removed, Sudan is now the only African country still fully covered under the U.S. TPS framework.
The series of terminations has raised concerns among immigration advocates about the steady contraction of humanitarian protections for nationals from conflict-affected and politically fragile regions.
Impact on Ethiopian residents in the U.S.
Thousands of Ethiopian nationals who have lived and worked in the United States for years under TPS protection are now facing uncertainty about their future.
Under the termination notice, affected individuals have 60 days to depart voluntarily before enforcement measures begin. Those who leave within the voluntary departure window may qualify for limited assistance, including a government-funded plane ticket and an exit payment of approximately R18,500, as well as potential eligibility for future legal immigration pathways.
Failure to depart within the stipulated period could result in deportation proceedings once enforcement begins in early January.
Broader immigration shift under Trump
The move is part of a broader shift under President Donald Trump’s administration to tighten immigration policies and reassess humanitarian programmes introduced or expanded under previous administrations.
Earlier, Trump revoked TPS protections for Somali nationals in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali diaspora in the United States. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump cited unverified allegations of gang activity and financial crime, describing Minnesota as a centre of money laundering under Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
The remarks sparked backlash from advocacy groups, who questioned the evidence and criticised what they described as state-specific and politically charged targeting. Somali TPS protections, however, remain in place until March 2026.
Concerns over narrowing humanitarian protections
Immigration advocates warn that the removal of African countries from TPS leaves vulnerable populations exposed, particularly those who cannot safely return home due to lingering instability, economic hardship or political repression.
While U.S. authorities maintain that TPS is intended as a temporary measure, critics argue that repeated terminations risk undermining the programme’s humanitarian purpose.
As policy changes continue, African nationals living in the United States under temporary protection face an increasingly uncertain legal landscape.
