The United States government is set to evaluate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of immigrants from Somalia, according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. TPS is a legal safeguard against deportation for individuals from certain countries. Noem stated that the program was always meant to be temporary and was put in place over 30 years ago. The evaluation will determine whether the status should be continued or terminated.
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump pledged to strip Somali residents in Minnesota of their TPS. Trump’s statement has sparked fear within the state’s Somali community, which is the largest in the country. Immigration experts and state leaders have pushed back against the president’s plan, questioning its legality. Heidi Altman, policy director at the National Immigrant Justice Center, noted that there is no legal mechanism for the president to terminate protected status for a particular community or state.
Somalia’s TPS designation is currently set to expire on March 17, 2026. However, the Trump administration has until mid-January to revoke the status, provided they give the required 60 days’ notice. It is estimated that only 705 individuals nationwide are covered by TPS, a small fraction of the tens of thousands of Somalis living in Minnesota. Many Somalis in the US are citizens, including Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia.
Advocates have warned that the move could inflame hate against the Somali community, which is already facing rising Islamophobia. Jaylani Hussein, president of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described the move as a “political attack” driven by Islamophobic rhetoric. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also criticized the president’s statement, noting that the state consistently ranks among the safest in the country.
The Trump administration has been pushing to adopt hardline immigration policies, including withdrawing protections for immigrants from various countries. This move is part of a broader effort to limit immigration and tighten border control. The administration has already ended TPS for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians, and has sought to limit protections for migrants from Cuba and Syria. The evaluation of Somalia’s TPS status is likely to have significant implications for the Somali community in the US and will be closely watched by immigration advocates and experts.