The Department of Homeland Security has recently announced that the agency has designated the country of Ethiopia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months. The designation will apply to only Ethiopian nationals already residing in the U.S. as of October 20, 2022.
TPS is a temporary status extended to foreign nationals already in the United States when conditions in their home country make returning home too dangerous or otherwise impossible. DHS has three statutory bases that trigger the designation - ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary and temporary conditions.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated that the country of Ethiopia falls under two of the three statutory bases in a press release announcing the designation,
The United States recognizes the ongoing armed conflict and the extraordinary and temporary conditions engulfing Ethiopia, and DHS is committed to providing temporary protection to those in need. Ethiopian nationals currently residing in the U.S. who cannot safely return due to conflict-related violence and a humanitarian crisis involving severe food shortages, flooding, drought, and displacement, will be able to remain and work in the United States until conditions in their home country improve. [Emphasis added]
The press release stated, “This designation is based on both ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Ethiopia that prevent Ethiopian nationals, and those of no nationality who last habitually resided in Ethiopia, from returning to Ethiopia safely.” To explain the decision, DHS added,
Due to the armed conflict, civilians are at risk of conflict-related violence, including attacks, killings, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence; ethnicity-based detentions; and human rights violations and abuses. Extraordinary and temporary conditions that further prevent nationals from returning in safety include a humanitarian crisis involving severe food insecurity, flooding, drought, large-scale displacement, and the impact of disease outbreaks.
This is the first time Ethiopia has been designated for TPS. The designation will make Ethiopian nationals who have continuously resided in the United States since October 20, 2022 and will not apply to individuals who attempt to travel to the United States after that date. The 18-month designation will go into effect on the publication date of the forthcoming Federal Register notice, which will also provide instructions on how Ethiopians may apply. DHS states that all foreign nationals will undergo security and background checks
You can read the complete DHS release here.
