The Department of Homeland Security has announced that Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals will be revoked, marking another step in the administration’s broader effort to end TPS protections granted to multiple countries; this move, announced by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, follows earlier revocations for other nationalities and raises questions about enforcement, vetting, and political responses from elected officials who represent affected communities.
Kristi Noem announced the decision to rescind Somali TPS as part of a continuing policy to roll back temporary protections. The administration argues that conditions in Somalia have improved enough that the statutory criteria for TPS no longer apply. “Temporary means temporary,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.”
This decision follows earlier moves since January 2025 to end TPS for Haitians, Venezuelans, Hondurans, and Nicaraguans, and to revoke protections previously granted to nationals of Burma (Myanmar) and Ethiopia. Those prior actions set the tone: the current administration is focused on reversing what it sees as open-ended stays and restoring orderly, vetted immigration. The policy thread is clear — temporary programs should be temporary, and individuals who want to remain must pursue lawful, adjudicated pathways.
Officials say the change affects a modest number of Somalis living in the U.S. under TPS, and it comes amid stepped-up immigration enforcement in areas where fraud schemes have been exposed. The administration points to enforcement and rule of law concerns as drivers for the revocation. In Minnesota, federal probes into a large fraud operation tied to members of the Somali community have intensified scrutiny of TPS recipients and applicants.
The Trump administration is ending temporary protection status (TPS) for Somalia, affecting several thousand Somalis currently living in the U.S. and several hundred currently living in Minnesota under the protection.
Somali migrants with TPS will be required to leave the country by March 17.
“Temporary means temporary,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.”
“Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests,” Noem added. “We are putting Americans first.”
Sources at USCIS have reported specific numbers tied to Somali TPS status, which help explain the scale of the policy action. There are 2,471 Somali nationals currently in the U.S. under TPS, with 1,383 more in the country with pending TPS applications. The data show concentrated pockets of TPS recipients, including an estimated 600 Somali nationals in Minnesota, which has been a focal point for federal activity.
Sources at USCIS told Fox News Digital that there are 2,471 Somali nationals currently in the U.S. under TPS, with 1,383 in the country with pending TPS applications.
The move comes as DHS continues ICE operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a widespread roughly $9 billion fraud scheme involving members of the Somali community plagued the state.
Fox News Digital learned that an estimated 600 Somali nationals who are protected by TPS live in Minnesota.
The administration frames the revocation as part of a larger strategy to put Americans first and restore the integrity of immigration policy. DHS leaders argue that long-term, indefinite protections undermine the rule of law and incentivize circumventing legal immigration channels. Republicans supporting the move say enforcement and accountability matter just as much as compassion, and both must be balanced by sovereign border control.
Political reactions are predictable and partisan. Elected officials who represent Somali communities, including Representative Ilhan Omar, have vowed opposition and public defense of their constituents. The ongoing political fight will likely involve litigation, legislative signaling, and public protests as activists and legal advocates challenge the revocation and seek injunctions or other relief.
As long as Democrat Ilhan Omar (MN-05) is in Congress, and as long as the fraud network which is enabled by the likes of MN Gov. Tim Walz, MN Attorney General Keith Ellison, OR Gov. Tina Kotek, and OR Attorney General Dan Rayfield, expect Somali nationals to be the ones who receive not only a ton of legacy media press, but the most vocal, legislative, and civic push back.
Beyond elected voices, the administration must navigate court challenges that have previously stalled TPS rollbacks for other nationalities. Federal judges and appellate panels have blocked or stayed revocations before, creating legal uncertainty and delaying final enforcement. Expect attorneys and civil rights groups to mobilize quickly on behalf of those whose protections are ending.
Meanwhile, the policy change forces Somali TPS recipients to decide whether to depart, apply for other forms of relief, or litigate. DHS and ICE enforcement priorities will shape the practical effect of the revocation over months to come. For now, the decision marks another clear pivot toward stricter immigration enforcement and reasserts the administration’s stated commitment to enforce existing law and require vetted, legal entry and stay.
Tonight Democrats and Republicans teamed up to kill my motion to subpoena the immigration records of Ilhan Omar and her brother/husband.
Tonight Democrats and Republicans teamed up to kill my motion to subpoena the immigration records of Ilhan Omar and her brother/husband.
DC did what it always does – protect its own. The American people spoke clearly in 2024 – they are tired of business as usual and backroom deals – they want REAL accountability.
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