Trump announces end of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis

US President Donald Trump announced on social media that he is planning to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump accused Somali gangs of "fraudulent money laundering activity” in Minnesota and said he was ending TPS because they were “terrorizing” people there.

“Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” Trump wrote without providing any further details. 

“I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota. Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”

It is the latest blow for communities that have sought refuge in the United States from conflict and natural disasters. 

The government has sought to end TPS for many groups, including people from Haiti, Honduras, Syria, South Sudan, and Venezuela. 

The TPS designation allows applicants from 17 countries deemed unsafe for return to stay in the United States and work. It is not a road to permanent residency, and TPS is evaluated on an ongoing basis.

TPS was first granted to Somalis in 1991 after civil war broke out in Somalia following the collapse of President Mohamed Siad Barre's government. While the country is not currently in a full-blown war, there is ongoing instability, conflict and violence. 

Pushback

Keith Ellison, the Minnesota attorney general, said in a statement on Facebook on Friday that Trump’s comments arose from wanting to turn people against each other, but Minnesotans wouldn’t do that. 

“I am confident that Minnesotans know better than to fall for Donald Trump’s scare tactics and scapegoating,” he said. 

He added that Minnesota was richer because people from all over the world called it home. 

'Devastated': Previously protected Syrians in US face upheaval as legal protections end

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“Somali folks came to Minnesota fleeing conflict, instability, and famine, and they have become an integral part of our state, our culture, and our community,” he added. “Donald Trump cannot terminate TPS for just one state or on a bigoted whim. My office and I are monitoring the situation and exploring all of our options.”

TPS for Somalis was extended under the Biden administration and is set to expire on 17 March 2026. According to the Library of Congress, only 705 Somalis in the US are under TPS, compared to 1.3 million people overall from 16 other countries under TPS. It is unclear how many Somalis in Minnesota have TPS status. 

Middle East Eye contacted the Department of Homeland Security to ask whether TPS for Somalis would end only in Minnesota or nationwide, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Trump’s post was a distraction.

"It’s not surprising that the President has chosen to broadly target an entire community,” he said in a post on X. 'This is what he does to change the subject."

Syrians get a temporary reprieve

The Trump administration recently tried to revoke TPS status for Syrians. In September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the termination of TPS for Syrians, impacting more than 6,000 people in November. Syrians were due to lose their legal protections from last week onwards and be subject to detention and possible removal proceedings. 

However, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Muslim Advocates, and Van Der Hout LLP sued the Trump administration for unlawfully terminating TPS on behalf of a class of Syrian TPS holders and applicants who have lived in the US for years.

The case was heard in court on 17 November, and a federal court ruled on 19 November to delay the termination of TPS for Syrians while the legal case moves forward.

A civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, and TPS for Syrians commenced in 2012. While the civil war ended in 2024, after forces predominantly from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, toppled Bashar al-Assad late last year, the country is still considered unsafe to return to. The country is currently in a transition period with threats of violence, and attacks by Israel, and it is estimated that it will take years to rebuild.

Following the court's decision, L​​upe Aguirre, senior litigation attorney at International Refugee Assistance Project, said in a public statement, “The administration’s ongoing war on TPS is rooted in bias, not facts, and we will continue to fight this unlawful termination in court.”