Somali families in Minnesota were shaken after former President Donald Trump announced he was ending their Temporary Protected Status.
Eko Hot News reports that Trump’s declaration, posted Friday on Truth Social, claimed that TPS protections for Somalis in Minnesota were being terminated “effective immediately,” citing unproven concerns about financial crimes and gang activity. The statement triggered swift outrage, legal scrutiny, and confusion among community members and advocates throughout the state.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with more than 26,000 residents of Somali descent. Most are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, but roughly 430 people rely on the TPS program for legal status and work authorisation. TPS for Somalia has been in place since 1991, following the country’s civil war, and has been renewed 27 times due to ongoing instability and the presence of militant group al-Shabab.
Immigration experts were quick to point out that Trump’s announcement carries no legal weight. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, stressed that federal law does not allow a president to revoke TPS before its scheduled expiration date unilaterally. Somalia’s current designation is valid until March 17, 2026.
“There is literally no legal means by which he can do this,” Reichlin-Melnick said, noting that the Department of Homeland Security cannot prematurely end a TPS designation for a specific state. Any cancellation must apply nationwide and follow formal federal procedures.
Heidi Altman, policy director at the National Immigrant Justice Centre, echoed that conclusion, calling the announcement a political manoeuvre rather than a lawful action. “There’s no legal mechanism that allows the president to terminate protected status for a particular community or state that he has beef with,” she told the Associated Press. She described Trump’s message as another instance of “demagoguing immigrants without justification or evidence.”
Despite assurances from legal experts, fear spread rapidly through parts of the Somali community. Immigration attorney Abdiqani Jabane told local reporters that many families panicked, worried that Immigration and Customs Enforcement might begin targeting Somali residents. “These are people who have lived and worked in the community for more than 20 years,” he said.
Those fears are heightened by the reality of conditions in Somalia, where al-Shabab insurgents continue to carry out attacks and government forces struggle to maintain security. “Sending anyone back to Somalia today is unsafe,” Jabane added.
Minnesota leaders condemned Trump’s announcement and urged calm. Governor Tim Walz accused the former president of stoking fear to shift public attention, while Senator Tina Smith said the comments reflected a long pattern of targeting minority communities. “That’s who he is, but it’s not who we are,” Smith wrote.
Representative Ilhan Omar, herself a Somali refugee who became a U.S. citizen, dismissed online attacks demanding her deportation in light of Trump’s post. “I am a citizen, and so are [a] majority of Somalis in America,” she wrote. “We are here to stay.”
Community advocates say they will continue to educate residents, counter misinformation, and prepare legal responses should any official action follow Trump’s online statement.
