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US President Donald Trump has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in Minnesota, declaring the move a crime-prevention measure as his administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.
Posting on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said he was “hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota,” accusing what he described as “Somali gangs” of endangering local communities.
“Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!” he wrote.
TPS shields eligible individuals from deportation and grants them work authorisation, typically applied in cases where returning home would pose significant risks due to conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary conditions.
Minnesota is home to one of the world’s largest Somali diaspora communities outside of Somalia, a country that has faced decades of instability.
Congressional data shows that as of March 31, around 705 Somali nationals held approved TPS status, while the Department of Homeland Security estimated that a further 4,300 could have qualified had the programme been renewed.
Somalis were first granted TPS in 1991, with the most recent extension issued in July 2024 because conditions in the country still prevented safe return.
Somalia continues to battle Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged an insurgency since the mid-2000s and launched a renewed offensive earlier this year.
The Trump administration has also moved to rescind TPS protections for nationals of Afghanistan, Haiti, South Sudan, Venezuela and several other countries. This strategy has already prompted a series of legal challenges. His latest directive targeting Somalis is also expected to face court action.
In a separate policy shift, the United States plans to cut refugee admissions to 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year—down sharply from the more than 100,000 accepted annually under President Joe Biden.
Trump also used his post to attack Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, accusing him—without offering evidence—of involvement in “laundering activity.”
He has repeatedly targeted Ilhan Omar, the Somalia-born congresswoman representing Minnesota, previously urging her to “go back” to Somalia.
