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Trump admin ending temporary protected status for Somalis in March

By
Published  January 13, 2026 7:47am MST
Immigration
FOX 9
Trump’s Somalia TPS announcement: Minnesota response

Trump’s Somalia TPS announcement: Minnesota response

Minnesota legal authorities are breaking down what President Trump's plans for ending Somali Temporary Protected Status means for Somalis in Minnesota.

The Brief

    • Temporary protected status for Somalis will expire on March 17, affecting around 500 to 600 migrants in Minnesota.
    • President Trump announced the termination in November, with Homeland Security still reviewing the decision.
    • Temporary protected status for Somalis was first granted in 1991 and last extended under the Biden administration in September 2024.

(FOX 9) - The Trump administration announced it will end temporary protected status for Somalis in the United States, forcing any Somali migrant in the country on that status to leave by mid-March.

Temporary protected status ending for Somalis

What we know:

Fox News reports that the Trump administration will not extend temporary protected status for Somalis, which is set to expire on March 17.

Who it affects:

The ending of temporary protected status affects only about 500 to 600 of the approximately 37,000 Somali-born people living in Minnesota. Temporary protected status was first granted to Somalis in 1991 and was last extended under the Biden administration in September 2024.

Trump announced termination in November

The backstory:

President Trump first announced in November that his administration would seek to end temporary protected status for Somali migrants in the United States. On Nov. 21, the president posted on Truth Social that he had "terminated" the status for Somalis in Minnesota. The announcement was the first domino to fall in the immigration squabble that has ultimately led to the ICE surge in Minnesota.

In the post, the president blamed the Somali community for fraud in Minnesota, referring to government funds stolen in the Feeding Our Future scheme and other recent fraud in the state.

Timeline:

After the presidential announcement, questions were raised over President Trump's ability to immediately terminate temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota.

Speaking two days later in Minneapolis, Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem, who is tasked with decisions on temporary protected status, confirmed the Department of Homeland Security was still reviewing the matter and hadn't yet made a final decision on whether to terminate the status.

The Source: This story uses Fox News reporting and past FOX 9 reporting.

ImmigrationDonald J. TrumpNewsPoliticsMinnesotaWorld