U.S. Ends Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians, Effective February 2026

The Department of Homeland Security announced on December 12, 2025 that Secretary Kristi Noem had determined Ethiopia no longer met the conditions required for a Temporary Protected Status designation. A Federal Register notice published under citation 89 FR 26172 sets the termination to be effective at 11:59 p.m., local time, on February 13, 2026. DHS said the action followed a review of country conditions and interagency consultation.

Nationals of Ethiopia and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Ethiopia who were granted TPS under the Ethiopia designation will no longer have that protection after the February 13 termination date. The termination carries a transition period described in the Federal Register during which beneficiaries remain authorized to work through February 13, 2026. Immigration service advisories from firms including Fragomen concur that beneficiaries will remain work authorized throughout the transition period. One outlet, Forumtogether, estimated the decision will affect about 5,000 individuals.

Ethiopia was first designated for TPS on December 12, 2022. The designation was extended in April 2024 for an 18 month period, with the current registration window running from June 13, 2024 through December 12, 2025, according to USCIS materials and the Federal Register. DHS said its review concluded that continuing the designation would be contrary to statute and that the Secretary was terminating the Ethiopia designation as required by law. The Federal Register lists the Humanitarian Affairs Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as the point of contact for further information, at (240) 721 3000.

USCIS guidance cited in source materials notes an earlier automatic extension of certain employment authorization documents issued under the Ethiopia TPS designation. EADs that had an original expiration date of June 12, 2024 were automatically extended through June 12, 2025 and could be used as evidence of work authorization through that date. The Federal Register reiterates that after February 13, 2026, nationals of Ethiopia who had been granted TPS will no longer have TPS.

Some industry outlets reported additional operational details that are not in the Federal Register notice. An immigration blog reported that DHS would allow self reporting of departures via the CBP One or CBP Home mobile app, and that departing beneficiaries would receive a complimentary plane ticket, a one thousand dollar exit bonus and potential future immigration opportunities. Those specific claims are attributed to that outlet and do not appear in the regulatory notice or in the USCIS summary cited as the authoritative federal statement.

The termination comes amid a broader wave of TPS actions in 2025 under the Noem administration. DHS terminated other country designations this year, including actions affecting Haitian and Burmese nationals, and in at least one case a federal judge issued an order pausing a termination in Dahlia Doe v. Noem. The Ethiopia decision is likely to prompt immediate casework for immigration attorneys, potential litigation and renewed debate over the role of temporary humanitarian protections, the capacity of receiving communities to absorb returns, and congressional responsibility for gaps in permanent relief.