Temporary Status to Expire in March 2026
The administration of Donald Trump has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants living in the United States. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision in a statement posted Tuesday on X.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Somali nationals currently covered under the program must leave the country by March 17, 2026, unless they obtain another legal immigration status. Temporary Protected Status, known as TPS, allows migrants from countries facing war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to live and work legally in the United States for a limited period.
Administration Cites Improved Conditions
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the move, saying that conditions in Somalia no longer meet the legal threshold required for TPS designation.
“Temporary means temporary,” Noem said in a statement. She argued that the security and humanitarian situation in Somalia has improved sufficiently and that allowing Somali nationals to remain under the program is no longer in the national interest. The administration framed the decision as part of a broader effort to prioritize domestic concerns and reduce long standing immigration programs it views as outdated.
The United States first designated Somalia for TPS in 1991, amid civil war and widespread instability. Since then, the designation has been repeatedly extended under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Political Context and Rhetoric
The decision comes amid an intensified immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, particularly affecting migrants from parts of Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly singled out Somali immigrants in public remarks, accusing them of harming communities and linking them to crime and fraud, particularly in Minnesota.
At a rally in December, Trump used inflammatory language to describe Somalia and its citizens, comments that drew sharp criticism from immigrant advocacy groups and civil rights organizations. The administration has also highlighted past fraud cases involving individuals of Somali descent, although critics argue those cases do not justify ending protections for an entire community.
Broader Rollback of TPS Programs
Somalia is the latest country to lose TPS protection under the current administration. Similar actions have been taken against nationals from Afghanistan, Venezuela, Haiti, and South Sudan. Several of these decisions are currently being challenged in federal court.
In October, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to proceed with ending TPS protections for Venezuelans, a ruling that has emboldened officials to move forward with other terminations. Legal experts expect renewed lawsuits over the Somalia decision, arguing that conditions on the ground remain dangerous and unstable.
Advocacy groups warn that ending TPS for Somalis could place thousands at risk of deportation to a country still grappling with violence, political instability, and humanitarian crises. The administration, however, maintains that the law does not allow indefinite extensions and insists the program must end when conditions change.
