A federal judge in Massachusetts has lifted the order that was protecting Somali nationals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), clearing the way for the Trump administration to begin deportations. Somalia had held a TPS designation since 1991, making it one of the longest running designations in the program’s history.
DHS published the Somalia termination notice in January 2026 with an effective date of March 17. Four days before that date, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs stepped in with a stay, and the designation survived.
The Ruling
As reported by The Hill, Judge Allison Burroughs lifted the administrative stay she had issued only months earlier.
She did not lift it because she found the government’s position persuasive. In fact, Burroughs wrote that the plaintiffs made a convincing showing that they would suffer irreparable harm without the injunction, emphasizing that the balance of hardships and the public interest favored the plaintiffs. She further noted that the government had not shown that keeping TPS in place during the litigation would impose any real burden.
Yet, she lifted the stay anyway.
On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that federal courts generally cannot review a decision by the Department of Homeland Security to end a TPS designation. Burroughs wrote that she was bound to view the case “through the Mullin prism.”
The plaintiffs also argued that statements made by administration officials revealed racial animus. Burroughs agreed that they laid out a strong case for why those statements were racist. After Mullin v. Doe, she wrote she could not find a path to concluding that the plaintiffs would succeed on that claim.
What Changes Right Now
Through July and August, USCIS extended Somali work permits in a series of short bursts, first to August 3, then August 5, then August 10, then August 12, and then finally, on August 14, USCIS confirmed that the Somalia designation was terminated, and that Employment Authorization Documents issued under it are no longer valid. That applies to Forms I-766 in category A12 and C19.
Employers who accepted those documents must now reverify. A worker who cannot present other valid documentation cannot legally stay on the payroll.
Losing TPS is not only about the risk of removal. People lose their jobs, their ability to support their families, and any stability they might once have had under TPS protection.
What Does This Ruling Mean?
This decision is not isolated. It is the next step in the same wave of TPS rollbacks that produced the Supreme Court’s decision on Haiti and Syria earlier this summer.
The administration has moved to end protections for the large majority of countries that held TPS designations when the current term began, including Afghanistan, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, South Sudan, and part of the Venezuelan population. Only a handful of designations remain, and those survive on court orders designed to be read the same way Burroughs just read hers.
For anyone who holds TPS today, the precedent is now set. Losing status ends work authorization and opens the door to detention and deportation.
If you or a family member held TPS under Somalia’s designation, currently holds TPS under another country’s designation, or are weighing an asylum claim, now is the time to review your options with an experienced immigration attorney.
Talk To An Immigration Appeals Lawyer Today
For the past 40 years, Reeves Immigration Law Group has helped individuals with their asylum applications and achieved their desired results in some of the most complicated cases.
We understand that this is a confusing, scary, and difficult time with consistent changes in legislation. If you or your family members are currently applying for asylum, in fear of losing Temporary Protected Status, or dealing with the ramifications of losing either, contact one of our asylum attorneys today, and our experienced and skilled immigration team will help craft a personalized approach for your specific needs.
