SILVER SPRING, Maryland — Today, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, announced the designation of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Ethiopia for 18 months — a decision which will protect nearly 30,000 Ethiopian immigrants. 

“CLINIC applauds the decision to designate TPS for Ethiopia and commends the tireless work of advocacy partners who helped make this possible,” said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC. “Ethiopia is in the midst of a civil war and experiencing dire humanitarian crises brought on by severe food shortages, flooding and drought. The TPS program was created by Congress for situations just like this — to swiftly provide humanitarian protection to immigrants in the United States who are unable to safely return home. CLINIC anxiously awaits the publication of the Federal Registrar notice so that applications for the program can begin as quickly as possible.” 

Ethiopian nationals who were in the U.S. as of Oct. 20, 2022, and meet additional requirements will be eligible to apply for TPS. CLINIC will provide additional information and analysis once the Federal Registrar notice is published. 

While we welcome this decision, we again call upon the Biden administration to make similar judgements by designating TPS for Mauritania, a country which also suffers similar conditions.