The Trump administration has formally announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, effectively stripping approximately 2,500 immigrants of their legal protections and work authorizations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared that improved conditions in Somalia no longer justify the program’s continuation, stating ‘Temporary means temporary’ in an official communication to the BBC.
The policy shift, scheduled to take effect March 17, will render thousands of Somalis immediately eligible for deportation. This decision represents the latest escalation in President Trump’s targeted campaign against Somali immigrants, whom he has repeatedly characterized as undesirable. ‘Allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests,’ Noem asserted. ‘We are putting Americans first.’
Established by Congress in 1990, TPS provides refuge for individuals from nations experiencing armed conflict or environmental catastrophes. The program has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades, with Somalia’s designation first implemented by President George H.W. Bush during the country’s civil war and subsequently renewed by both Democratic and Republican administrations.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed 2,471 Somali nationals currently hold TPS status, with an additional 1,383 applications pending review. The administration’s announcement was accompanied by provocative social media messaging featuring President Trump’s portrait with the caption: ‘I am the captain now.’
Minnesota—home to America’s largest Somali diaspora community—has become the epicenter of intensified immigration enforcement operations. Recent weeks have seen heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an immigration agent during Minneapolis operations. While authorities claim the agent acted in self-defense, local officials maintain the victim posed no threat.
This move aligns with the administration’s broader pattern of terminating protected status for immigrants from multiple nations previously deemed unsafe, including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nepal. Legal challenges have previously thwarted similar attempts, with a federal judge ruling September’s termination of TPS for Haitians and Venezuelans unlawful.
The Biden administration had previously extended Somalia’s TPS designation for the maximum 18-month period permitted by statute, with protections originally set to expire in March 2025.