US terminates TPS for Somalia, South Sudan, Cameroon, Ethiopia: full list of affected African countries
By Aboki Forex —
The United States has terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Somalia, South Sudan, Cameroon and Ethiopia. The move affects thousands of African immigrants who previously relied on the programme to live and work legally in the US.
The decisions are part of the Donald Trump administration's broader review of humanitarian immigration programmes. They were announced through updates published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on August 14.
Somalia and South Sudan lose TPS
Somalia and South Sudan are the latest countries to lose their TPS designations. Somalia's designation ended on August 14, while South Sudan's ended on August 7, 2026.
USCIS said the decisions followed reviews of conditions in the affected countries. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem determined that they no longer met the legal requirements for TPS.
In its notice on Somalia, USCIS said Noem reviewed conditions in the country and consulted relevant US government agencies before concluding that Somalia no longer met the statutory requirements.
“The Somalia TPS designation is terminated, effective August 14, 2026,” the agency said. The same process was applied to South Sudan, with USCIS announcing that its TPS designation was terminated effective August 7.
What TPS termination means
The end of TPS does not automatically mean every affected person will be deported. Nationals who depended solely on TPS protection may need to explore other lawful immigration options or face the consequences of losing their protected status.
TPS is a humanitarian programme for nationals of countries experiencing extraordinary conditions that make safe return difficult or dangerous. Beneficiaries receive protection from removal, apply for employment authorisation and, in certain circumstances, obtain permission to travel outside the US.
But TPS is temporary. It does not provide a direct route to permanent residency or automatically grant another immigration status. Once a designation ends, individuals may lose TPS-related protections unless they have another valid immigration status or qualify for a different form of relief under US immigration law.
Full list and court battles
The latest USCIS information lists several countries whose TPS designations have been terminated. They include: Haiti, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, South Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Some TPS terminations remain subject to litigation. USCIS said a federal judge in Massachusetts stayed the termination of Ethiopia's TPS in January 2026 while the US government considered its next steps. Legal proceedings have also affected TPS termination decisions involving Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua.
The developments highlight the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's ongoing review of TPS designations. Court challenges could influence when or whether some terminations take effect. For affected immigrants, the end of TPS could mark a significant change in their ability to live and work legally in the United States, particularly for those without another immigration status or form of protection.