By Boluwatife Oshadiya | August 17, 2026
Key Points
- A US federal judge clears the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Somalia
- A separate ruling on August 7 also allows the government to terminate TPS protections for South Sudan
- Cameroon’s TPS ended in 2025, while Ethiopia remains subject to separate litigation over its termination
Main Story
The United States has moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for nationals of Somalia and South Sudan following recent federal court rulings clearing the way for the Trump administration to implement the terminations.
TPS is a humanitarian immigration programme that allows eligible nationals of designated countries already in the United States to remain temporarily and obtain employment authorisation when conditions in their home countries prevent safe return. The programme does not itself provide lawful permanent resident status.
For Somalia, a federal judge in Massachusetts on August 14 allowed the administration to proceed with terminating TPS after earlier litigation had temporarily blocked the move. The original termination had been scheduled for March 17, 2026, but a court issued a stay on March 13 while the case was being considered.
South Sudan followed a similar legal path. A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on August 7 that the administration could end TPS protections for South Sudanese nationals after earlier court orders had temporarily prevented the termination from taking effect. Reuters reported that the ruling affected about 232 South Sudanese TPS beneficiaries.
Cameroon is also among the African countries whose TPS designation has already been terminated. The Department of Homeland Security announced in June 2025 that Cameroon’s designation would end effective August 4, 2025, after a review concluded that the statutory conditions for TPS were no longer met.
Ethiopia presents a different situation. Although DHS announced the termination of its TPS designation in December 2025, federal litigation subsequently blocked the termination. Recent reporting indicates that Ethiopia remained under judicial protection as the administration pursued its broader TPS policy.
What’s Being Said
“TPS offers protection from deportation and work authorization to migrants from nations suffering from severe crises like war or natural disasters.” — Reuters, reporting on the August 7 South Sudan ruling.
“The termination shall be null, void, and of no legal effect.” — Allison D. Burroughs, U.S. District Judge, in the March 13, 2026 order temporarily staying Somalia’s TPS termination.
What’s Next
The administration’s implementation of the Somalia and South Sudan decisions will determine when affected beneficiaries lose TPS protections and associated employment authorisation.
Further litigation could still affect the timing and implementation of TPS terminations, particularly as courts continue to apply the US Supreme Court’s June 2026 ruling limiting judicial review of certain procedural challenges to DHS decisions.
Bottom Line
The Bottom Line: The latest rulings strengthen the Trump administration’s ability to unwind TPS protections that had been shielded by federal court orders. For affected African nationals, the immediate issue is the transition from temporary humanitarian protection to whatever other lawful immigration status or protection they may qualify for.
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