The Trump administration announced its decision to terminate humanitarian protections for around 1,100 Somali individuals in the U.S., effectively ending their deportation relief and work permits. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem justified the move by stating that conditions in Somalia had improved, despite ongoing conflicts between Somali armed forces and al-Shabaab militants. The termination is set to take effect on March 17, although legal challenges are expected.
Noem emphasized that the improved conditions in Somalia no longer meet the criteria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under the law. She argued that allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the U.S. goes against the country’s national interests, prioritizing the well-being of American citizens.
President Trump has been vocal about his criticism of Somali immigrants, referring to them as “garbage” and highlighting fraud allegations in Minnesota involving some Somali individuals. The administration deployed over 2,000 federal immigration agents to Minnesota in response to claims of fraudulent activities by Somali immigrants, making the state a focal point of Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.
Tensions escalated in Minneapolis when a federal immigration officer fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, leading to widespread protests. The Trump administration’s broader agenda has targeted the Temporary Protected Status program, aiming to curtail enrollments based on the belief that it conflicts with U.S. interests.
In December, a federal judge blocked the administration’s attempt to end TPS for migrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, citing racially charged remarks by Trump officials that raised doubts about the decision-making process. The termination notice concerning Somalis indicated that security conditions had improved in Somalia, suggesting that returnees could opt to reside in safer regions like Somaliland in the north.
The extension of TPS for Somalis in 2024, issued during the Biden administration, cited the threats posed by al-Shabaab as grounds for providing humanitarian relief to Somali individuals in the U.S. Al-Shabaab has been implicated in numerous human rights violations, including executions, religious and political killings, disappearances, and other forms of abuse.