Former President Donald Trump has announced the immediate termination of a key legal protection for hundreds of Somali immigrants residing in Minnesota, escalating his administration's broader push for hardline immigration policies.
What is Temporary Protected Status?
The decision, declared by Trump on his social media platform on Friday, targets the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programme. Congress established this initiative in 1990 to shield individuals from deportation to their home countries experiencing natural disasters, armed conflict, or other extraordinarily dangerous conditions.
The authority to designate TPS lies with the Secretary of Homeland Security, with protections typically granted in 18-month increments. For many Somalis in Minnesota, this status was a lifeline, allowing them to live and work legally in the US after fleeing the prolonged civil war in their homeland.
The Impact on Minnesota's Somali Community
Minnesota is home to the nation's largest Somali community, many of whom were drawn to the state's robust social programmes. However, the practical effect of Trump's announcement may be numerically limited. A report prepared for Congress in August indicated that only 705 Somalis nationwide are currently covered by the TPS programme.
In his post, the former president justified the move by alleging that Minnesota had become "a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity." He further claimed, "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It's OVER!"
Community Backlash and Broader Policy Context
The announcement was met with swift condemnation from advocacy groups. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) stated that Trump's decision "will tear families apart."
Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN's Executive Director, said in a statement, "This is not just a bureaucratic change; it is a political attack on the Somali and Muslim community driven by Islamophobic and hateful rhetoric."
This action aligns with Trump's campaign promise to deport millions of people and represents a continuation of his first-term efforts to dismantle immigrant protections. His administration has already moved to end TPS for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians who had received protection under President Joe Biden. Similar efforts have been made to limit safeguards for migrants from Cuba, Syria, and other nations.
