Sunday July 12, 2026
Washington (AX) — The Department of Homeland Security’s immigration arm has issued fresh guidance clarifying work authorization for nationals of countries covered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS) whose cases are entangled in litigation over planned program terminations.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced provisional employment authorization dates for affected countries — including Somalia, Ethiopia, Syria, Myanmar, South Sudan and Yemen — extending work permission through July 17, 2026. Haiti was listed with a separate extension through July 24, 2026.
Somalia’s TPS designation and related benefits had been set to end on March 17, 2026.
But a March 13, 2026 order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts halted the termination of Somalia’s TPS in the lawsuit African Communities Together et al. v. Noem et al.
Consequently, USCIS said, Somali TPS beneficiaries will keep their protected status and continue to be authorized to work while that court order stays in place.
The agency noted that Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) bearing category codes A12 or C19 remain valid and are covered by the court-ordered extension.
USCIS framed the extension as limited relief, pending further developments in the litigation, including any proceedings by the District Court following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 25, 2026 decision in Mullin v. Doe.
The agency said entities that use the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program can confirm whether an individual’s TPS approval remains in effect and has not been withdrawn.
For Somali TPS recipients, SAVE manual responses will display: “Temporary Protected Status — Employment Authorized — Temp Emp Auth,” and will show employment authorization through July 17, 2026.
Comments from DHS within the SAVE system will note that TPS and employment authorization were extended by court order and will instruct agencies to consult the USCIS TPS Somalia webpage for ongoing updates.
USCIS reiterated that the standing of Somali TPS holders and their work authorization depends on the progress of the active litigation.
The agency urged user agencies to monitor the USCIS TPS Somalia webpage for the latest information and said they can subscribe to SAVE notifications via Granicus Communications.
