A federal judge has extended an administrative stay blocking the Trump administration's effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia, temporarily preventing the expedited deportation of Ethiopian refugees who hold that status.

The ruling was issued by Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, a appointee of President Joe Biden. Politico Senior Legal Affairs reporter Josh Gerstein shared the decision on Friday via X.

In his order, Judge Murphy stated:

"Plaintiffs have moved for an administrative stay pending resolution of their motion to amend their complaint and renewed motion for postponement. As previously noted by another Court in this District, a court "may issue an administrative stay 'in an exercise of its docket-management authority.' Administrative stays are not a reflection of the merits, but instead allow the court time to consider the merits of a case that cannot be successfully or appropriately evaluated in haste." After review, and in light of the novel arguments raised in Plaintiffs' amended complaint, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs' motion for an administrative stay as follows. To preserve the status quo, the effective date of termination of the designation of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia (the "Termination") will be STAYED, subject to further order of this Court or higher courts, pending resolution of Plaintiffs' renewed motion for postponement. During the period of the stay of the Termination, the Termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect."

Temporary Protected Status is a federal program that provides temporary immigration benefits to nationals of designated countries who are unable to return safely due to conditions such as armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. Ethiopia's TPS designation was originally granted by the Biden administration in 2022 in response to conditions stemming from the armed conflict in the country's northern regions. The designation covered an estimated 16,000 Ethiopian nationals.

The Trump administration has sought to end TPS for Ethiopia since December. The effort is part of a broader push by the administration to roll back humanitarian protections across multiple immigration programs, citing changed country conditions and policy priorities. A lawsuit filed in January challenged the termination, and the case has since remained in litigation. Friday's ruling allows Ethiopian TPS beneficiaries to continue residing and working in the United States while the court evaluates the merits of the plaintiffs' claims.

Judge Murphy's order is expressly procedural and does not address whether the administration's termination decision was lawful. The next significant development will be the court's resolution of the plaintiffs' renewed motion for postponement, which could determine whether the stay is extended through the full course of litigation.