Trump Administration Ends TPS for 2,500 Somali Nationals

The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is terminating temporary protected status for Somali nationals in the United States, requiring approximately 2,500 individuals to leave the country by March 17 or face deportation proceedings.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that conditions in Somalia have improved enough to no longer qualify for the program under federal law. "Temporary means temporary," 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."

The decision affects 2,471 Somali nationals currently holding TPS, along with 1,383 others with pending applications, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. TPS, authorized by Congress in 1990, allows foreign nationals from designated countries to live and work legally in the U.S. when returning home would pose risks due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters or other extraordinary conditions. Somalia first received TPS designation in 1991 amid its civil war, with extensions granted by multiple administrations, including President Joe Biden's...