US Ends Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, Leaving Hundreds with 2-Month Deadline to Leave or Face Deportation.
The Trump administration has announced its decision to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in the United States, forcing hundreds of individuals to either leave the country voluntarily within two months or face deportation. The move, which was first reported by Fox News Digital, will impact approximately 705 Somali nationals currently holding TPS.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, conditions in Somalia have improved sufficiently for Somalis no longer to qualify under federal law for the designation, which she stated is "contrary to our national interests." In a statement, Noem wrote that "Temporary means temporary," adding that allowing Somali nationals to remain was not an option.
The decision comes as part of President Trump's broader crackdown on immigration in the US. He has repeatedly targeted groups deemed as threats to American society, including Muslims and immigrants from countries with high rates of terrorism or crime. In a recent statement, Trump stated that Somalis are "garbage" and referenced unverified reports suggesting ties between Somali nationals and militant group al-Shabaab.
However, critics argue that the move is nothing more than a bigoted attack on vulnerable communities. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) described the decision as a "bigoted attack" that will send some Somalis back to a war-torn country with severe humanitarian crises and persistent violence from militant groups.
Somali nationals were first granted TPS by the administration of George HW Bush in 1991, during Somalia's civil war. The status has been repeatedly renewed by successive administrations, most recently by Joe Biden in September 2024, who extended it through March 2026.
The decision to withdraw TPS for Somalis comes as Minnesota, which is home to a large Somali community, faces issues with fraud and perceived threats from the militia group al-Shabaab. In response, Minneapolis and St Paul have filed a lawsuit against the administration, alleging that the state was being targeted due to its diversity and political differences.
With their TPS status set to expire on March 17th, Somali nationals in the US are facing an uncertain future. While it is unclear how quickly they can be removed from the country once their protections expire, most attempts by the administration to end a TPS designation have ended up in court.
Human rights organizations have warned that returning Somali nationals to Somalia could put them at severe risk due to ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in the country. The US has used Minnesota's issues with fraud as a pretext to send immigration officers into the state, sparking widespread protests across the US following the fatal shooting of an American citizen by a federal agent during an enforcement operation.
The Trump administration has announced its decision to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in the United States, forcing hundreds of individuals to either leave the country voluntarily within two months or face deportation. The move, which was first reported by Fox News Digital, will impact approximately 705 Somali nationals currently holding TPS.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, conditions in Somalia have improved sufficiently for Somalis no longer to qualify under federal law for the designation, which she stated is "contrary to our national interests." In a statement, Noem wrote that "Temporary means temporary," adding that allowing Somali nationals to remain was not an option.
The decision comes as part of President Trump's broader crackdown on immigration in the US. He has repeatedly targeted groups deemed as threats to American society, including Muslims and immigrants from countries with high rates of terrorism or crime. In a recent statement, Trump stated that Somalis are "garbage" and referenced unverified reports suggesting ties between Somali nationals and militant group al-Shabaab.
However, critics argue that the move is nothing more than a bigoted attack on vulnerable communities. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) described the decision as a "bigoted attack" that will send some Somalis back to a war-torn country with severe humanitarian crises and persistent violence from militant groups.
Somali nationals were first granted TPS by the administration of George HW Bush in 1991, during Somalia's civil war. The status has been repeatedly renewed by successive administrations, most recently by Joe Biden in September 2024, who extended it through March 2026.
The decision to withdraw TPS for Somalis comes as Minnesota, which is home to a large Somali community, faces issues with fraud and perceived threats from the militia group al-Shabaab. In response, Minneapolis and St Paul have filed a lawsuit against the administration, alleging that the state was being targeted due to its diversity and political differences.
With their TPS status set to expire on March 17th, Somali nationals in the US are facing an uncertain future. While it is unclear how quickly they can be removed from the country once their protections expire, most attempts by the administration to end a TPS designation have ended up in court.
Human rights organizations have warned that returning Somali nationals to Somalia could put them at severe risk due to ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in the country. The US has used Minnesota's issues with fraud as a pretext to send immigration officers into the state, sparking widespread protests across the US following the fatal shooting of an American citizen by a federal agent during an enforcement operation.
like why is trump being so mean to somalis? i don't get it. they just wanna live in the us and be safe right? 
tps is supposed to help them but now it's all gone? 2 months to leave or face deportation tho that's not fair 
what if they cant afford to leave or dont want to? isnt the us supposed to be a land of freedom? 
btw has anyone else seen those videos of al shabaab? they're so scary 
. I cant believe the US is making Somalis leave, they've been living there for ages and now they're being told to pack their bags. It's not fair to just take away their homes and families like that. The admin is acting really harshly here 
. And what's with all this al-Shabaab stuff? I mean, sure, it's a problem in Somalia, but does that mean we gotta kick out everyone from Somalia? It's so unfair to the innocent people who are just trying to live their lives. We need more empathy and understanding when it comes to these kind of issues 
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. I mean, come on! These people have been living in the US for years, contributing to society, and now they're being thrown out like trash? It's all because of some outdated "conditions" in Somalia that don't even matter anymore. And what really gets me is how they're painting Somalis as "garbage". That's just a bigoted attack on an entire community. I feel so bad for these people who are going to have to leave their homes and families behind. It's not fair, and it's definitely not right 
. Like, Somali folks are not a threat to us, they're human beings who deserve respect and compassion 
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. This is what's going to happen when you try to target communities based on their diversity? It's just not okay 
. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is right on the money with this one – it's a bigoted attack that will put innocent people in harm's way 
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Like, who gets told "hey, you gotta go back to war-torn Somalia" just 'cause it's convenient for the gov? 
And what about all those ppl who are literally fleeing violence in their homeland?! 
Like, wth is wrong with this guy?! 
It's all about targeting minority groups & pushing them out. 
... It’s crazy that the US is terminating TPS for Somalis now when it was first introduced in 1991 as a temporary measure to protect them from civil war and humanitarian crises. I mean, conditions have actually improved somewhat since then, right? 
And what's with the whole "Temporary Protected Status" thing not being meant to be permanent? If that were true, wouldn't they have taken action years ago when things started looking up in Somalia?
somalis have been living here with a temporary protection from deportation for over 30 years 
and now they're being told to leave in just 2 months 
it's like we're kicking them out with no regard for their safety or well-being 
newsflash: somalia is still dealing with severe humanitarian crises and persistent violence from militant groups 
it's like we're playing politics with people's lives 
It's like, can't we just show some compassion and understanding here?
what about the ppl who actually did nothing wrong? they got caught up in the whole somali thing because of fake news and misconceptions 
its all about politics and xenophobia at this point 
[Image of a dollar sign with a big X marked through it, surrounded by Somalis fleeing from Somalia]
That kind of language has no place in our society. We're all human beings, deserving of dignity and compassion. 
. They're human beings with families, friends, and communities who will be torn apart by this decision.
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