Wednesday, January 14, 2026- The Trump administration has announced it will terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals currently living in the United States, a decision that will strip legal status and work authorization from roughly 2,500 people and make them eligible for deportation.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says the protections scheduled to end March 17, 2026 are being removed because conditions in Somalia have “improved” and no longer meet the legal criteria for TPS.
TPS is a federal immigration designation that shields people from being deported to countries experiencing conflict, natural disasters, or other extreme dangers and allows recipients to work legally in the U.S. The program for Somalia has been in place since 1991 due to ongoing violence and instability.
With its termination, Somali beneficiaries now face losing their work permits and could be subject to removal unless they secure a different legal status. Critics argue that Somalia remains unsafe because of persistent conflict and humanitarian crises, calling the policy shift dangerous and discriminatory.
The termination of TPS for Somalis comes amid a broader hard‑line immigration strategy by the administration and has prompted legal challenges and community backlash, especially in cities like Minneapolis with large Somali populations.
Advocates warn that ending the protections could tear families apart, disrupt local economies, and force people back to a country still grappling with armed conflict and insecurity. The move signals a significant escalation in U.S. immigration enforcement that will have real consequences for thousands of people and their communities.
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