United States: DHS Announces Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia
December 12, 2025
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At a glance
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will not extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Ethiopia, which expires today, but beneficiaries will be granted a 60-day transition period, through February 13, 2026.
- Beneficiaries with certain previously issued EADs will continue to be work-authorized during the 60-day transition period.
A closer look
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not extending the Ethiopia Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation, but will provide a 60-day transition period, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published on December 15. The Ethiopia TPS designation expires today, December 12, 2025, but beneficiaries will be granted a transition period through February 13, 2026, and will remain work-authorized throughout the transition period.
According to the Federal Register notice, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has determined that the conditions for a TPS designation no longer exist for Ethiopia and that extending TPS for Ethiopia would be contrary to U.S. national interests.
Ethiopia was first designated for TPS in December 2022, and the designation was extended in April 2024 for an 18-month period, from June 13, 2024 through December 12, 2025.
Employment authorization during the 60-day transition period
DHS recognizes that TPS beneficiaries under the Ethiopia designation continue to be employment-authorized during the 60-day transition period. Accordingly, through the Federal Register notice, DHS automatically extends the validity of certain EADs previously issued under the designation, through February 13, 2026.
As proof of continued employment authorization for the 60-day transition period, Ethiopia TPS beneficiaries can present an EAD that has the notation A-12 or C-19 under “Category” and a “Card Expires” date of June 12, 2024, or December 12, 2025.
Employers will need to reverify the employment eligibility of impacted employees who presented Ethiopia TPS EADs as proof of work authorization, and update their records to indicate the new February 13, 2026 expiration date.
Termination of family reunification parole programs for seven other countries
In a separate Federal Register (FR) notice, DHS also announced that it is terminating the special family reunification parole programs for certain beneficiaries of family-based immigrant petitions from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. Paroles will terminate 30 days from the scheduled December 15, 2025 publication of the FR Notice, unless the paroled foreign national has a pending adjustment of status application or DHS determines on a case-by-case basis that continued parole is merited for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. DHS will revoke employment authorization of foreign nationals whose paroles have been terminated.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
