U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis living in Minnesota, abruptly ending a humanitarian program that has existed since 1991.
The decision, delivered in a late-night post on Truth Social, comes with no supporting evidence for the claims Trump used to justify the action.
“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing,” Trump wrote, without offering proof. He added that, as president, he was “hereby terminating, effective immediately,” the TPS designation specifically for Somalis in Minnesota.
Trump went on to describe Minnesota as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, referencing unverified media claims, boosted by several Republican lawmakers, asserting that the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab benefited from fraud committed in the state.
Governor Walz dismissed the statement on X, saying, “It’s not surprising that the President has chosen to broadly target an entire community. This is what he does to change the subject.”
The TPS program was created under President George H.W. Bush in 1991 to protect foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home countries because of war, instability, or natural disasters. While 17 countries currently qualify, Trump’s administration has been working to terminate TPS protections for several, including Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration had extended Somalia’s TPS designation through March 17, 2026. However, only 705 Somali-born individuals nationwide currently hold TPS status, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Most Somalis living in Minnesota are U.S. citizens and will not be affected.
Civil rights groups criticised the move as politically motivated. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Minnesota, said Trump’s order unfairly targets lawful residents.
“These are legal immigrants and they should not suffer as a consequence of a political football that’s being played against the Muslim community. These individuals have been following the law,” Hussein said.
Abshir Omar, a political strategist who endorsed Trump in 2024, said he expects the decision to face legal challenges. He warned that it could also damage U.S. relations with Somalia, which earlier this year offered the United States exclusive access to its air bases and ports and expressed interest in American investment to develop its substantial oil reserves.
As legal and diplomatic fallout looms, immigrant rights groups say affected Somalis now face uncertainty, with families fearing separation and deportation after decades of lawful residence in the United States.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
