The Trump administration has ended temporary protected status (TPS) for Somalia, requiring thousands of Somalis living in the United States to depart by March 17 or face full deportation proceedings.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated that “temporary means temporary,” noting that country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. She further emphasized that allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to national interests and that Americans are being prioritized.

According to USCIS, there are 2,471 Somali nationals currently in the U.S. under TPS, with 1,383 having pending applications.

The administration’s action follows ongoing ICE operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a widespread fraud scheme involving members of the Somali community was estimated at $9 billion and affected the state. An estimated 600 Somali nationals protected by TPS reside in Minnesota.

Somalia was initially granted TPS in the 1990s due to civil war in the country. In 2024, President Biden extended the program for Somalia.

TPS dates back to 1990, when Congress created the policy to offer temporary safe haven to individuals from countries facing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other emergencies that make their return unsafe.

The Trump administration has sought to end most TPS programs, which were dramatically expanded under former President Biden. The administration has moved to revoke the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Myanmar, South Sudan, and Venezuela.