The United States has officially terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, mandating their departure by mid-March 2026. This decisive action represents a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement measures, particularly targeting Minnesota’s substantial Somali community of approximately 80,000 people.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the policy shift via social media, stating unequivocally: “Our message is clear. Go back to your own country, or we’ll send you back ourselves.” The TPS program traditionally provided deportation protection and work authorization for foreigners from disaster-stricken regions.
This development follows weeks of intensified immigration enforcement operations across Minnesota, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have conducted widespread raids. The operations turned fatal last week when an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter in Minneapolis, sparking widespread protests and generating $2 million in police overtime costs over four days.
The administration justifies its crackdown by citing a massive public benefits fraud case involving 98 defendants, 85 of whom are of Somali descent. Federal prosecutors allege these individuals orchestrated a $300 million scheme that diverted funds intended for child nutrition programs, with 57 convictions already secured. While the case initially emerged in 2022, it has gained renewed political attention in recent months.
President Trump personally amplified the situation through his Truth Social platform, accusing Minnesota Democrats of enabling fraud and promising “reckoning & retribution” for the state. The political dimension has intensified as Republican officials claim Democratic leaders ignored warnings due to the Somali community’s involvement.
Meanwhile, Somalia remains classified as one of the world’s least developed nations by the UN, with the US State Department maintaining its most severe travel advisory against visiting the conflict-ridden Horn of Africa nation.