Trump administration to end legal protections for some Somalis in mid-March Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 01/13/2026 - 17:15 The announcement comes as the president takes aim at all Somalis, including naturalised citizens Demonstrators rally in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, amid a federal immigration operation targeting the Somali community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 8 December 2025 (Tim Evans/Reuters) Off The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali citizens in the US will expire on 17 March, and urged members of the community to "self-deport". TPS is a short-term legal status typically granted to citizens of countries that cannot return home because of war or major instability. It often gets extended every few years, given US law - at least on paper - espouses "non-refoulement", meaning people cannot be sent back somewhere they could face imminent death or injury. That stipulation, however, often faces legal challenges. Over the past 12 months, the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants has meant the cancellation of TPS for Venezuelans, Syrians, and Afghans, among others. "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," US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first," she said. If Somalis do not wish to become the target of an arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, they should use the "Customs and Border Protection Home" mobile app to report their departure from the United States, the agency said on Tuesday. "The app is a safe, secure way to self-deport and includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and the opportunity for potential future legal immigration," the statement read. DHS previously claimed that hundreds of people have used the app to self-deport, but there are no known instances of anyone receiving the promised funds. 'We keep taking in garbage' Late last year, US President Donald Trump lashed out against Somali immigrants, as well as the only Somali-American member of Congress, Ilhan Omar, for what he says is a takeover of the state of Minnesota. Its largest city, Minneapolis, has the largest Somali immigrant community anywhere in the US, estimated at a little over 80,000 people. "They come from hell, and they complain and do nothing but bitch. We don't want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it," Trump told reporters. "I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you, okay? Somebody said, 'Oh, that’s not politically correct.' I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country. I can say that about other countries, too," the president added. US to send more federal agents to Minneapolis after ICE shooting as protests spread Read More » His comments were in response to a question about whether Trump thinks Minnesota governor and former Democratic vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, should resign over a Covid-era payment programme that was, according to the Department of Justice, defrauded by a large number of Somalis. Since then, right-wing circles online have also shared a video of a conservative YouTuber going door to door to daycare facilities run by Somalis and Somali-Americans in Minneapolis, and demanding to see the children inside. He was unsuccessful and held that up as evidence that Somalis are lying about running such businesses. A CBS investigation later found that the state had inspected all the facilities. Members of the Somali community, including representatives of the community who are state lawmakers, say the president is "racist" and that he had also made Somalis a target of his ire during his first term in office. Now, however, with a renewed mandate, Trump has sent hundreds of federal agents, including ICE, to target Somalis in Minnesota. This has prompted widespread fear, but also widespread protest. "We will continue to enforce the law: if individuals commit acts of violence against law enforcement or obstruct our operations, it is a crime, and we will hold them accountable for the consequences," Noem warned in an interview on Fox News on Sunday. Lawsuits against Trump administration Renee Nicole Good , a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent last week. Videos filmed by bystanders and shared on social media show an officer approaching Good’s vehicle, demanding she open the door and grabbing the handle. As the car began to move forward, a second ICE agent standing in front of the vehicle dashed to the side of the vehicle, drew his weapon, and fired at least two shots at close range through the side window. The Trump administration stated that the officer believed there was an imminent threat, a claim many eyewitnesses and bystanders dispute. As a result, on Monday, the state of Minnesota sued the Trump administration for its deployment of the agents, saying the move infringed on states' rights and that it took place without "express congressional authorization". In response, DHS has called the lawsuit "baseless". The state of Illinois, which was targeted by Trump via federal agents some months ago, also sued the US government. Both states are located in the Midwest, along the Canadian border. They are run by Democratic governors who have drawn the ire of a president who is vocal about his grudges. Minnesota and Illinois are also reliably blue, meaning they are almost guaranteed to vote for Democrats during key election cycles. US Muslims News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0