United States President Donald Trump has announced the immediate termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Somali nationals in Minnesota.
In his Truth Social Post on November 22, Trump claimed that the state had become a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity under Governor Tim Waltz.
He accused Somali “gangs” of terrorizing residents while billions of dollars were missing.
Trump directed that affected individuals be returned to their countries of origin.
“Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota,” Trump wrote.
“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and billion of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from.”
Trump Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota
Many Somali immigrants arrived in the state fleeing decades of civil war in their home country, attracted by Minnesota’s social support programs.
Currently, Minnesota has been hosting largest Somali community in the United States.
According to a congressional report released in August, it was estimated that only 705 Somali nationals across the country were covered under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program.
The TPS program, established by Congress in 1990, was designed to shield individuals from deportation when their home countries face natural disasters, armed conflict, or other dangerous conditions.
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This comes after Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians who had received protection under former President Joe Biden.
The administration has also moved to scale back or remove protections previously granted to migrants from Cuba, Syria, and other nations.
During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to deport millions of people if elected.
In line with this strategy, his administration has taken steps to roll back protections that allowed certain immigrants to live and work legally in the United States.
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About Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
TPS is a temporary immigration status for nationals of countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics, or other extraordinary conditions.
Eligible individuals in the U.S. cannot be deported, can work legally, and may receive travel authorization.
TPS does not provide permanent residency or another immigration status but does not prevent applying for other immigration benefits.
The countries currently designated for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) include Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.
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