Trump administration ends TPS protections for Somalia and South Sudan

The Trump administration is continuing its rollback of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian immigration programme that allows eligible nationals of certain countries already in the United States to remain and work legally when returning home would be unsafe.

The latest terminations affect:

• Somalia: TPS ended August 14, 2026
• South Sudan: TPS ended August 7, 2026
• Cameroon: previously terminated
• Ethiopia: termination currently blocked by a federal court

TPS does not itself provide permanent residency or a route to a green card. While it is active, beneficiaries generally receive protection from removal and can obtain employment authorisation.

Importantly, losing TPS does not automatically mean every person affected is immediately deported. Someone may have another valid immigration status, a pending application, asylum protection, or another legal basis to remain in the US.

The broader significance is that the Trump administration is systematically shrinking the countries covered by TPS. The countries listed as having had their TPS designations terminated include Haiti, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia, although litigation has prevented or complicated some of those terminations.

Ethiopia is a particularly important example. Its TPS termination was stayed by a federal judge in Massachusetts in January 2026, meaning Ethiopian TPS holders were not simply stripped of protection despite the administration’s decision.

The legal battles therefore matter enormously. TPS is created by federal immigration law, but the administration’s decisions to terminate particular designations can be challenged in federal court. That means the practical status of nationals from some countries can remain uncertain even after DHS announces termination.

For Cameroonians specifically, the situation is especially significant because Cameroon is already on the administration’s terminated list. That means Cameroonian nationals who were relying solely on TPS cannot assume that their TPS protection continues; their ability to remain legally in the US depends on whether they have another immigration basis or benefit from ongoing litigation or other relief.