US Orders Nationals of 1 African Nation With Terminated TPS To Leave the Country

• A US federal judge lifted the stay blocking Ethiopia's TPS termination on August 18, 2028, completing a sweep of all active TPS terminations
• The Department of Homeland Security warned that those who remain in the US after their TPS termination could face deportation
• Ethiopia joins 12 other nations whose TPS designations have been terminated, spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean

The United States Department of Homeland Security has issued a stark warning to holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) from Ethiopia and 12 other countries, ordering them to leave the country after a federal court removed the final legal barrier blocking their removal.

DHS General Counsel James Percival announced on August 18, 2028, that Judge Brian Murphy had lifted the stay on Ethiopia's TPS termination, clearing the path for all outstanding TPS terminations to take effect simultaneously.

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The department's official account on X confirmed the development shortly after, warning those affected to depart voluntarily or face forced removal.

"Judge Brian Murphy just lifted the stay of Ethiopia TPS termination. All TPS terminations are in effect!" Percival wrote.

The DHS followed with a direct statement:

"ALL TPS terminations are now IN EFFECT. Those with terminated TPS should leave NOW. If they don't, we will DEPORT them."

13 nations affected across four continents

Ethiopia's inclusion brings the total number of countries with terminated TPS designations to 13, spanning four continents.

On the African continent, Cameroon, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia have all had their designations cancelled.

Five Asian nations are also affected: Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nepal and Burma. In North and Central America and the Caribbean, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua are on the list, with Venezuela rounding out the affected countries as the sole South American nation.

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TPS is a humanitarian protection granted by the US government to nationals of countries experiencing ongoing conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions, allowing them to live and work legally in the United States for a defined period.

Legal challenges had delayed terminations

Court stays had previously blocked some of the terminations from taking immediate effect, keeping affected nationals in a state of legal uncertainty for an extended period.

The lifting of the Ethiopia stay by Judge Murphy on August 18 removed the last such legal protection, meaning no active court order now shields any of the 13 affected nationalities from the consequences of termination.

The DHS directive, posted publicly on its official social media channels, represents one of the most sweeping enforcement signals issued in relation to the TPS programme, putting hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals on notice that their legal status in the United States has expired.

US expands visa crackdown to 15 airports

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that foreign nationals with expired visas are being detained directly at airports.

ICE agents have begun operations at check-in counters, boarding gates and arrival terminals across at least 15 airports in recent weeks.

Source: YEN.com.gh