The Trump administration has announced plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants, a move that will strip thousands of their legal protections and make them eligible for deportation from the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision was based on what the administration described as improved conditions in Somalia, arguing the country no longer meets the legal requirements for TPS designation. The protection is set to end on March 17, affecting about 2,500 Somali nationals who will lose their work permits and legal status.
Temporary Protected Status allows immigrants from countries affected by war, natural disasters, or extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the US without fear of deportation. Once the designation expires, beneficiaries can be removed from the country unless they qualify for another form of legal status.
The Department of Homeland Security said there are currently 2,471 Somalis registered under TPS, with an additional 1,383 applications pending. DHS also sparked controversy online after sharing a post celebrating the decision with an image of President Donald Trump and the caption “I am the captain now.”
President Trump has repeatedly expressed opposition to Somali immigration and has intensified enforcement efforts in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the US. The administration recently deployed additional immigration officers to the state as part of a broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Tensions have escalated following the fatal shooting of US citizen Renee Good by an immigration enforcement agent during a Minneapolis operation last week. While federal authorities claim the agent acted in self-defence, local officials dispute that account, saying the woman posed no threat. The incident has triggered widespread protests.
Trump has previously used inflammatory language about Somali immigrants, calling for them to leave the US and making remarks that critics have described as racist. Ahead of the TPS announcement, he posted a message online warning Minnesota residents that a “day of reckoning” was coming.
TPS for Somalia was first introduced in 1991 during the country’s civil war and has been continuously renewed by both Republican and Democratic administrations for more than three decades. The Biden administration last renewed the protection for the maximum 18 months allowed under law, set to expire in March.
The Trump administration has also moved to end TPS protections for immigrants from several other countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nepal. Some of those decisions have been challenged in court, with a federal judge last year ruling that the termination of TPS for Haitians and Venezuelans was unlawful.
The move to end TPS for Somalis is expected to face similar legal challenges, as immigrant advocacy groups warn it could place thousands of people at risk of deportation to an unstable country.