WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Biden Administration designated Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopia (TPS). FWD.us Vice President of Advocacy Alida Garcia issued the following statement on the designation:

“It’s welcome news that the Department of Homeland Security and the Biden-Harris Administration are designating TPS for Ethiopia, a country facing multiple humanitarian crises and extreme violence that has displaced millions – and this announcement is a direct reflection of the tireless work of advocates fighting for protections for vulnerable people to live safely and be treated with dignity. An estimated 30,000 Ethiopians living in the United States will now be eligible to remain with their families and in their communities because of this critical designation. TPS will enable Ethiopians in the U.S. to live and work without the threat of deportation, and will give them some measure of stability after months and years of uncertainty.

“This designation is a critical step forward to help protect people from Ethiopia living in the U.S as they continue to build their lives. Additionally, we urge the Biden Administration to extend TPS to Mauritania in light of the dangerous and even lethal conditions in the country, where Black people are at risk of being enslaved, and face forced statelessness and other horrifying conditions. Deportations to Mauritania were halted under previous administrations, including under former Presidents Obama and G.W. Bush, but the Trump Administration restarted deportations of Black Mauritanians as part of their cruel and chaotic policies. We urge the Biden Administration to reverse this policy and designate TPS for Mauritania without delay, to help more people live in safety.”