President Donald Trump has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis living in the United States, requiring thousands to leave the country. This decision follows a significant fraud scandal that made headlines in Minnesota. Individuals affected by this policy change must depart by March 17. According to sources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), approximately 2,500 Somalis currently reside in the U.S. under TPS, with nearly 1,400 having pending applications.
Somalia’s Long History of Instability and Crisis
About 24 percent of these individuals live in Minnesota, a state where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has intensified deportation activities recently. Somalia, known for its extreme poverty and instability, has faced continuous challenges such as clan conflicts, insurgencies, and humanitarian emergencies since its central government collapsed in the early 1990s. The TPS designation was initially granted following the government’s collapse in January 1991, and it was renewed by former President Joe Biden in 2024.
The Trump administration’s decision to revoke these protections comes amid allegations of fraud involving at least 85 Somali individuals in Minnesota. “They stole $18 billion, that’s just what we’re learning about,” President Trump commented regarding the Minnesota fraud incident. The Somali community in the state has faced increased scrutiny as the fraud scandal has drawn significant attention from both state leaders and the public.
Political Fallout in Minnesota After Deportation Backlash
The outcry prompted Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz to drop his reelection bid, which he did last week, before an ICE officer shot an unarmed woman, further propelling Minnesota into the news. ‘We’re getting rid of a lot of people that are criminals that shouldn’t be in our country,’ Trump said of his deportation efforts on Tuesday morning. ‘They came in through Biden’s open borders, and we’re getting them out of our country. That’s why our crime numbers are so good. We have record-low crime numbers.’
Somalians were viewed least favorably compared to other immigrant groups in the J.L. Partners poll. In fact, they were the only group that polled in negative territory. Thirty percent of registered voters said Somali immigrants made a bad impact on the United States. That’s higher than the 24 percent who said they made a good impact and the 29 percent who viewed the community neutrally.
Haitians, Colombians, Venezuelans, Chinese, Africans, Filipinos, Mexicans, Indians, British and Europeans all polled more positively. For years, President Donald Trump has slammed Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, the highest-profile member of the community, mocking her at a rally-like event in Pennsylvania in December for wearing a ‘little turban.’
