Supreme Court Rejects Emergency Appeal, Handing GOP Big Win

DHS administers Temporary Protected Status. It allows individuals from designated countries experiencing armed conflict, disaster, or extraordinary conditions to remain in the U.S. temporarily. Ethiopia was initially granted TPS designation in 2022, with protections later extended through early 2026.

The Trump administration moved to terminate that designation shortly after taking office in January 2025, arguing that conditions in Ethiopia no longer met the legal threshold required to justify continued protection. DHS officials said the decision followed a formal review of country conditions and consultation with other federal agencies.

But Murphy determined that the administration’s actions likely failed to meet procedural requirements under federal law, including standards set by the Administrative Procedure Act. He ordered a delay in the termination, effectively allowing the protections to remain in place while the case proceeds through the courts.

Murphy previously blocked the end of protections for Ethiopians in a separate case. It’s a certainty that the Trump administration will appeal.