United States federal judge TrinaThompson has issued an order temporarily blocking the US government’s plan to end deportation protections for Ethiopian nationals, delaying a policy that was scheduled to take effect on 13 February 2026 and would have affected approximately 5,000 people .
The ruling made on Friday, 31 January 2026, halts the termination of protections that shield Ethiopian migrants from removal while allowing them to live and work legally in the United States. The judge determined that the policy change required further legal review, particularly given the humanitarian and political instability in Ethiopia, including conflict-related displacement and security concerns.
The case forms part of a broader wave of legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, as advocacy groups and affected migrants contest efforts to roll back humanitarian protections and temporary immigration safeguards .
Legal representatives for Ethiopian beneficiaries argue that ending protections could expose thousands to unsafe conditions, disrupt livelihoods, and separate families already integrated into American communities. The court ruling effectively preserves their legal status while litigation continues, preventing immediate deportations.
The decision underscores growing judicial resistance to executive immigration rollbacks, as federal courts increasingly serve as battlegrounds over US migration policy, humanitarian relief programs, and executive authority during the Trump administration’s renewed enforcement push
