The Trump Administration has canceled Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for citizens of Somali origin, potentially leading to their deportation if they do not leave the United States by March 17th. The announcement was made this Tuesday by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a post on X, stating that Somalis legally residing in the U.S. through the program will become undocumented and “must leave the country before March 17th.” This action is the latest in the Trump Administration’s campaign against immigration, recently focused on the Somali community in Minnesota.
President Trump has accused Somalis of “destroying the country,” and has repeatedly used derogatory language, at times calling them “garbage.” In November, Trump announced an immediate end to temporary deportation protections for Somalis living in Minnesota, accelerating the end of a program that began in 1991 under President George W. Bush. The program was extended in subsequent years to allow Somalis to continue legally residing in the United States.
TPS was created to allow temporary residence for citizens of countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. The Trump Administration has also terminated the program for citizens of Venezuela, Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Afghanistan.
“Temporary means temporary,” stated Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Fox News. “Conditions in Somalia have improved to the point where they no longer meet the legal requirements for Temporary Protected Status.” Somalia has been in a state of civil war since the 1990s. Noem added that allowing Somali citizens to remain temporarily in the U.S. is “contrary to our national interests” and that “we are prioritizing Americans.”
According to reports citing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there are currently 2,471 Somali citizens in the United States with TPS, with an additional 1,383 having pending applications. The National Immigration Forum estimates the number of Somalis in the country with the permit to be 705.
The Somali community in Minnesota has been targeted with racist attacks, fueled by President Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric. The Administration launched a migration operation involving over 2,000 agents in Minneapolis in response to alleged fraud involving childcare funds, where many of those accused are of Somali origin. Minnesota has opposed the federal government’s intervention, and protests erupted after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good last week.
Protests have continued since Wednesday and have spread to cities across the country. Demonstrations against immigration agents continued Tuesday, after federal authorities used tear gas to disperse crowds of activists denouncing the abuses. Minnesota filed a lawsuit Monday against the government over the operations being conducted by immigration agents in the city, which led to Good’s death. Governor Tim Walz seeks to block the deployment of hundreds of additional agents announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the weekend.
On Monday, agents fired tear gas at a crowd gathered around immigration officials questioning a man. In St. Cloud, in the northwest of the state, hundreds protested outside a commercial area with businesses owned by Somalis following the arrival of ICE agents, according to AP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Temporary Protected Status?
TPS is a program that allows citizens of designated countries experiencing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions to reside temporarily in the United States.
How many Somali citizens are currently affected by this decision?
According to USCIS sources, 2,471 Somali citizens currently have TPS in the United States, with another 1,383 having pending applications. However, the National Immigration Forum estimates the number to be 705.
What is the state of Minnesota doing in response?
The State of Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against the federal government to block the deployment of additional immigration agents and the operations being carried out in the city, following the death of Renée Nicole Good.
As the March 17th deadline approaches, what challenges and uncertainties might Somali communities in the U.S. face, and how could this situation evolve in the coming weeks?
