Overview
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed that Somali TPS holders must leave the United States by March 17, 2026, when work authorization and deportation protections expire.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions have improved in Somalia and keeping protections is contrary to U.S. interests, while the State Department still urges Americans not to travel there.
- Reporting cites about 2,471 Somali nationals with TPS and 1,383 pending applicants, though other sources, including the Congressional Research Service, list lower totals, with roughly 600 TPS holders in Minnesota.
- The decision follows an enforcement surge focused on Minnesota tied to widely publicized fraud allegations, recent mass protests, and the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good that prompted lawsuits by local officials.
- Legal challenges are expected as the administration rolls back TPS for several countries, with prior terminations already facing court review and public criticism of anti-Somali rhetoric from President Trump and DHS posts.