The Trump administration has announced the end of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Somali immigrants in the United States, marking the latest move in the president’s expansive immigration crackdown.
The Department of Homeland Security declared Tuesday that hundreds of Somalis currently living under TPS protections must leave the country by March 17. This deadline follows the expiration of the protections, which were most recently extended by former President Biden earlier this year.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the decision, saying, “Temporary means temporary,” and insisted that the move prioritizes “Americans first.”
Somali immigrants under TPS represent a small portion of nearly 1.3 million people currently protected by the program. But the Trump administration has systematically rolled back TPS protections for several countries during his second term.
The TPS program was established by Congress in 1990 to provide temporary refuge to immigrants fleeing conflict or disaster in their home countries. Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991 amid its civil war, and the status has been extended repeatedly over the years due to ongoing violence and instability.
However, Secretary Noem claims conditions in Somalia have improved sufficiently to no longer warrant temporary protection. Critics argue otherwise, pointing to Somalia’s continued struggles with chronic violence, poverty, and natural disasters such as severe droughts.
The latest congressional report highlighted Somalia’s persistent insecurity and conflict, which pose serious dangers to any returnees.
This announcement comes amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis, home to a significant Somali-American community, where recent federal immigration enforcement has sparked protests following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen during a demonstration against federal agents.
President Trump has previously targeted Somali immigrants with harsh rhetoric, accusing them of fraud and making derogatory remarks. Last December, he called Somalis “coming from hell” and claimed they “contribute nothing” to the U.S. His attacks have also extended to Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born Minnesota Democrat, whom Trump has repeatedly suggested should be deported despite her U.S. citizenship.
Rep. Omar has criticized the Trump administration’s aggressive stance, calling the president’s focus on Somali-Americans “creepy and unhealthy.”
As this story develops, many Somali immigrants and advocates express deep concern over the potential humanitarian and social impacts of the TPS termination.
We will continue to follow this story and provide updates on the effects of this policy change.
Reporting by Kathy Moore.
