WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will end Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals and begin deportations in March, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday, saying thousands will be required to leave the United States once their protections lapse.
In a statement posted to its X account, DHS said, “Our message is clear. Go back to your own country, or we’ll send you back ourselves.”
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“Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”
TPS allows foreign nationals to live and work in the United States when temporary conditions in their home countries — such as armed conflict or natural disasters — make it unsafe to return. Recipients are shielded from removal and can obtain work authorization, though the designation does not create a direct path to permanent residence. It also does not bar individuals from seeking other legal status they may be eligible for under U.S. law.
Roughly 2,500 Somali nationals are currently living under TPS in the United States, according to Fox News. By contrast, U.S. Census data indicate nearly a quarter-million people in the country are of Somali descent, most of whom are U.S. citizens. Many Somali Americans arrived after the civil war that began in the 1990s, building sizable communities in cities such as Minneapolis, Columbus and Seattle.
The move to terminate TPS for Somalis is part of a broader retrenchment of humanitarian protections. In recent months, the administration has also ended TPS for nationals of Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Burma and South Sudan. Haitians covered by TPS are set to see their protections end next month.
The decision comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sent additional agents to Minnesota’s Twin Cities region, home to the largest concentration of Somalis in the United States. DHS did not specify how it would sequence removals or how many individuals could be deported in the first wave once protections expire in March.
The department’s announcement signals an aggressive enforcement posture and a narrow reading of TPS criteria, emphasizing a return to pre-crisis immigration baselines. Advocacy groups have long argued that ending TPS without clear alternatives can fracture families and disrupt workplaces, while supporters of termination say the program is not meant to be indefinite and should end when statutory conditions are deemed resolved.
With the clock running toward March, Somali TPS holders face a narrowing window to consult legal counsel, determine whether they qualify for other immigration relief, and plan for possible departure. DHS said it would proceed on its stated timeline, framing the decision as a restoration of the program’s original intent.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
