A federal judge has issued a temporary stay blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopian nationals, overriding a recent Supreme Court decision that narrowed lower courts’ authority over immigration cases. The ruling keeps a flashpoint alive in the ongoing clash between the executive branch and the federal judiciary over immigration enforcement.
Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts issued the administrative stay in the case African Communities Together v. Mullin. It temporarily preserves TPS protections that were set to expire on February 13, 2026. TPS shields nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions, allowing them to live and work legally in the United States during designated periods.
The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, determined in December 2025 that Ethiopia no longer met the conditions for TPS designation. That decision set the February 2026 expiry date and triggered the legal challenge. The Supreme Court had previously ruled 6-3 in Mullin v. Doe that lower courts have limited authority to block DHS decisions on TPS termination — a ruling widely seen as a significant win for the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
However, Judge Murphy found legal grounds to intervene anyway, at least temporarily. The conflict between his stay and the Supreme Court’s recent guidance on judicial authority created an unusual standoff between levels of the federal court system. DHS General Counsel James Percival responded sharply, accusing Judge Murphy of “mutiny” against the Supreme Court — language that underscored just how high tensions have run between the administration and the courts over immigration.
The Trump administration has moved simultaneously against TPS designations for multiple countries, including Syria and Haiti, as part of a broad immigration enforcement strategy. These cascading termination efforts represent one of the most sweeping changes to temporary protection policy in decades. Ethiopian nationals — families, workers, and business owners — who have built lives in the United States under TPS now face ongoing uncertainty about their legal standing.
The Justice Department has signalled it may appeal to the Supreme Court again, potentially pushing the issue to a final ruling on the boundaries of judicial review in immigration matters. That outcome would shape not just the Ethiopian TPS case, but how similar challenges to other TPS designations play out. The recent DHS leadership changes add another layer of complexity to an already contested policy landscape, making this one of the most closely watched immigration cases of the year.
