U.S. President Donald Trump announced on March 15, 2024, that he is terminating temporary deportation protections for Somalis residing in Minnesota. This decision effectively ends the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program that has been in place since 1991, initiated under President George H.W. Bush. In a late-night post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State,” and accused the state of being a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” without providing supporting evidence for these assertions.
The TPS program is designed to protect eligible foreign-born individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to conditions such as civil war or natural disasters. Currently, there are only 705 Somali-born individuals with TPS status across the United States, while over 330,000 Haitians and more than 170,000 people from El Salvador also benefit from this protection. Trump’s administration has previously announced plans to terminate TPS for several countries, including Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Tim Walz, the Democratic Governor of Minnesota, responded to Trump’s announcement, stating, “It’s not surprising that the President has chosen to broadly target an entire community.” Walz suggested that Trump is attempting to divert attention from other issues. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with many individuals having fled war and instability in Somalia since the late 1970s.
The TPS program was extended by the administration of Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, through March 17, 2026. Most Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, and many community leaders have expressed concern over the potential impact of Trump’s decision. Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Attorney General, stated that his office is “monitoring the situation and exploring all of our options,” emphasizing that Somali immigrants have contributed significantly to the state.
In a social media response, Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from Minneapolis and a Somali-American, asserted that she and the majority of Somalis in the U.S. are citizens. “Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate. We are here to stay,” Omar wrote on X.
Community leaders have criticized Trump’s decision as politically motivated. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, highlighted that the affected individuals are legal immigrants who should not suffer due to political maneuvering. He warned that the decision could lead to family separations.
Political strategist Abshir Omar, who endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election, indicated that the decision might face legal challenges. He noted that the move could adversely affect the long-term economic relationship between the United States and Somalia, which has expressed interest in partnering with American firms to explore its oil reserves.
The announcement follows allegations from a conservative organization claiming that the Al-Shabaab militant group, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other nations, had received funds from fraudulent activities linked to Minnesota. In response, Republican Representative Tom Emmer called for an investigation into these claims, urging accountability for any misuse of taxpayer dollars.
The political discourse surrounding this issue has heightened tensions. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth emphasized that anyone involved in criminal activities should be swiftly deported if they are not legally present in the U.S. In contrast, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed solidarity with the Somali community, stating, “Minneapolis has your back — always.”
As reactions unfold, the implications of Trump’s decision on Minnesota’s Somali community remain a topic of significant concern and debate.
