The Trump administration has ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Cameroon, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan living in the United States, as part of a wider rollback of the humanitarian immigration programme.
The move means eligible nationals from the four African countries who relied on TPS to remain and work legally in the US could lose those protections if they do not have another lawful immigration status.
TPS is a temporary humanitarian programme that allows eligible nationals of designated countries to remain in the US when conditions such as armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances make it unsafe for them to return. It does not provide permanent residency or a pathway to US citizenship.
Somalia is among the latest countries to have its TPS protection terminated, joining a growing list of countries affected by the Trump administration’s immigration policy changes.
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The broader list includes
Haiti
Syria
Yemen
Afghanistan
Cameroon
Nepal
Honduras
Nicaragua
Venezuela
South Sudan
Myanmar
Somalia.
For affected nationals without another valid immigration status, the loss of TPS can mean the end of protection from deportation and the loss of employment authorisation.
However, termination of TPS does not automatically mean that every beneficiary will be deported.
Individuals who hold another lawful immigration status, have a pending immigration application or qualify for another form of protection may still have a legal basis to remain in the country.
Trump administration accelerates TPS rollback
The latest terminations form part of the administration’s broader effort to scale back TPS designations that have protected hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals over the years.
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The programme was designed as a temporary measure, although protections for some countries have been repeatedly extended because the conditions that prompted their designation persisted.
Somalia, for instance, was first designated for TPS in 1991 following the collapse of state institutions and has remained protected through successive extensions and redesignations.
South Sudan was also designated for TPS amid continuing conflict and humanitarian challenges, while Ethiopia received TPS protection in response to severe humanitarian conditions linked to conflict and instability.
With the latest policy changes, nationals of the affected African countries now face uncertainty over their ability to remain and work legally in the US.
Those who no longer have TPS are expected to consider whether they qualify for another immigration status or form of protection. For those without an alternative legal basis to remain, the end of TPS could eventually expose them to removal proceedings.
