Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for Somali Immigrants

Tue Jan 13 2026 22:51:36 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Trump administration announces the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants, affecting hundreds currently living in the United States. This move is part of the administration’s broader immigration enforcement strategy, coinciding with increasing protests in cities with significant Somali populations.

The Trump administration has decided to end Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants, with the Department of Homeland Security stating that these individuals must leave the US by March 17, 2024. This latest move affects roughly 705 individuals and comes amidst ongoing immigration enforcement measures. Critics, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, have condemned the decision as a continuation of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy.

Donald Trump’s administration announced Tuesday its intention to end Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Somalia, which represents the latest development in the president’s focused deportation agenda.

This decision impacts hundreds of individuals, a small fraction of immigrants protected under TPS in the United States. The measure is particularly resonant in Minneapolis, where many Somali natives reside and where protests have surged following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

The Department of Homeland Security revealed that the Somali immigrants designated for TPS must exit the U.S. by March 17, 2024, with the protections previously extended by former President Joe Biden set to expire on that date. “Temporary means temporary,” asserted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, emphasizing that this decision prioritizes American citizens.

According to the Congressional Research Service, only 705 of the nearly 1.3 million TPS immigrants in the U.S. are Somali, marking a significant reduction in legal protections under Trump's presidency. TPS was established by Congress in 1990 to assist foreign individuals escaping unsafe conditions in their home countries.

The Somali designation was first implemented during President George H.W. Bush's administration amid a civil conflict in 1991, and has been continuously renewed over the decades, with the latest extension occurring in July 2024 by President Biden.

Noem defended the administration’s decision by stating that conditions in Somalia have improved sufficiently to no longer meet the criteria for TPS, despite Somalia being one of the world's poorest nations, rife with ongoing instability and suffering from recurring natural disasters.

The congressional report noted that Somalis have obtained numerous extensions due to long-standing “insecurity and ongoing armed conflict that present serious threats to safety upon return.” Trump has been particularly vocal against Somali immigrants, utilizing racially charged rhetoric and accusing the community in Minneapolis of engaging in fraud against federal programs.

In a controversial commentary, Trump claimed he did not want Somali immigrants in the U.S., labeling the country as a source of societal issues and providing pointed criticism towards Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has consistently criticized his immigration policy and rhetoric.

As reactions unfold, Omar has described Trump's fixation on Somali immigrants as unhealthy, further igniting tensions around the issue of immigration policy in the United States.