WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has announced it will end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for hundreds of Somali nationals living in the United States, a move expected to affect many families.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the decision will take effect on March 17, 2026, meaning Somali TPS holders will lose work authorization and protection from deportation.
Noem cited improvements in Somalia’s security and humanitarian situation as justification for ending the program. “The situation in Somalia has reached a point where TPS protection is no longer required. Our priority is the American people,” she said.
The administration noted that while fighting between Somalia’s government forces and Al-Shabaab continues, there are areas deemed safe enough for repatriation, pointing to regions including Somaliland.
The announcement comes amid rising tensions between the federal government and Minnesota’s Somali community, which hosts the largest Somali population in the United States. In recent months, the administration sent additional troops and immigration officials to Minnesota, citing investigations into alleged fraud at childcare centers involving Somali Americans.
Tensions escalated further after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good, a Minnesota resident, sparking widespread protests and legal challenges against the federal government.
Although the Trump administration has set March 17 as the program’s end date, immigrant rights groups and attorneys have indicated plans to file federal lawsuits to block the decision.
Previous TPS cases involving countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua have shown that courts can halt presidential actions, offering hope to Somali nationals currently protected under the program.
