Trump admin ends temporary protected status for all Somalis in US

The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for those from Somalia living in the US. Those Somalis that have been living in the US under TPS will be required to go back to their country starting on March 17 later this year.

"Temporary means temporary," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status."

"Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests," Noem added, per Fox News. "We are putting Americans first." According to the outlet, there are 2,471 Somalis living in the US with TPS, and there are also 1,383 in the country with pending TPS applications as well. The move from the Trump administration comes as ICE is carrying out surged immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota amid the fallout of a widespread fraud scandal in the state.

The issue, although it has been developing for some time, was highlighted by a viral report from independent reporter Nick Shirley, who went to Minnesota to uncover fraud at daycare centers, many of them being run by the Somali population. Roughly $9 billion in fraud schemes have plagued the state, with more reportedly left to uncover.

There are around 600 Somalis with TPS status living in Minnesota. The country of Somalia was granted TPS in 1991 when there was an ongoing civil war in the nation. President Joe Biden had extended TPS status for Somalis in 2024.

The move to end TPS also comes a few days after Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Trump administration after launching the surge in ICE enforcement for the Twin Cities. "We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on Monday.