Trump Ends Temporary Protections for Somalis, Citing Minnesota Safety Concerns

President Donald Trump said he had immediately terminated Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, a sudden decision announced on social media on November 21 that accelerates an end to a program first established for Somalis in 1991. In his post the president described a security problem in Minnesota, saying "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State," a claim Reuters characterized as unverified.

The designation for Somalis had been extended under the previous administration through March 17, 2026, allowing a small number of Somali nationals to live and work legally in the United States. Advocates and immigrant rights groups highlighted that roughly 705 Somali-born individuals nationwide hold TPS, a figure that is small compared with larger TPS populations from other countries. They said the decision targets long established legal migrants whose residency and family ties in the United States have been built up over many years.

The announcement drew swift condemnation from Minnesota political leaders who warned the move could tear families apart and promised to challenge the decision in court. U.S. senators from the state also criticized the action and indicated it could be subject to legal contest, setting up a likely clash between federal administrative discretion and state officials seeking to protect residents. Legal experts say past changes to TPS designations have repeatedly ended up before federal courts, although the precise legal arguments likely to be used in this case have yet to be filed publicly.

The policy reversal has immediate practical implications for those who have relied on TPS for protection. When a TPS designation ends, beneficiaries lose work authorization and protection from deportation, exposing them to removal proceedings unless they qualify for other immigration statuses. For small communities and families, that can mean abrupt disruptions to employment, schooling and caregiving arrangements, and strain on social services in localities where many beneficiaries live.

Beyond the domestic consequences, the move carries international reverberations. Temporary Protected Status was created to provide humanitarian relief when conditions in a country temporarily prevent safe return. Terminating a TPS designation for a group that has been in place for decades may be seen by some foreign governments and international organizations as a narrowing of U.S. humanitarian commitments, particularly at a moment when migration and displacement are prominent issues globally.

Minnesota's Somali community, already engaged in civic life and local economies, now faces uncertainty as federal agencies implement the president's directive. Advocacy groups said the decision singles out legal migrants who have been in the country for years, and they signaled rapid mobilization of legal and political responses. The coming days are likely to see court filings, administrative maneuvers by the Department of Homeland Security and intensified public debate over the balance between immigration enforcement and humanitarian protection.