U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he is ending temporary deportation protections for Somalis living in Minnesota, abruptly ending a program that has been in place since 1991.
"Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing," Trump wrote on Truth Social, giving no further details or evidence.
He added, "I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota."
Trump also described Minnesota as a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity" under Democratic Governor Tim Walz. The claim appears tied to unverified media reports, circulated by some Republican lawmakers, suggesting that Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militant group has benefited from fraud in Minnesota.
Governor Walz responded on X, saying, "It’s not surprising that the President has chosen to broadly target an entire community. This is what he does to change the subject."
The TPS program for Somalis was created by President George H.W. Bush in September 1991. It allows foreign-born individuals to remain in the U.S. temporarily if returning to their home country is unsafe due to civil war or natural disasters.
While 17 countries have TPS eligibility, the Trump administration has announced plans to end protections for several nations, including Venezuela and Nicaragua. Under the Biden administration, Somali TPS status had been extended through March 17, 2026.
Most Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, and only 705 Somali-born individuals nationwide currently hold TPS, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service. By contrast, more than 330,000 Haitians and over 170,000 Salvadorans have TPS.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, criticized the move.
"These are legal immigrants and they should not suffer as a consequence of a political football that's being played against the Muslim community. These individuals have been following the law," he said, warning that the decision could separate families.
Abshir Omar, a political strategist who supported Trump in 2024, said the decision would likely face legal challenges.
He also cautioned it could damage U.S. economic and strategic ties with Somalia, which recently offered the U.S. exclusive access to its air bases and ports, and expressed interest in partnering with American firms to explore its oil reserves.
