The TPS program was established in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush’s administration for people whose countries are unsafe for them to return to because of war. The war in Somalia began in 1991.

However, most Somalis have come to the U.S. through other means, such as refugee programs, family visas, and student visas. According to an article published by The Forum, a nationwide organization specializing in immigration issues, as of last March, nearly 1.3 million people from 17 countries were covered by TPS; only 705 of them were from Somalia. It is unclear how many of them lived in Minnesota. 

Among the other countries that have been covered by TPS are  Ethiopia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, and Honduras. Some have pushed back. Honduras, for example, filed a lawsuit, and a judge in the U.S. Northern District of California blocked the DHS’s action. The action is currently on hold.  

According to the DHS website, Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “Somalia’s conditions have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.”

This means Somalia is safe for its people to return without facing any safety concerns. Meanwhile, the United States Department of State’s website issued this advice to people considering traveling to Somalia, stating, “Do not travel to Somalia due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health, kidnapping, piracy, and lack of availability of routine consular services.” 

Trump himself echoed that statement last month by saying, “Somalia has no structure and is barely a country.”

The decision reopened the deep wounds in the Somali community caused by war, famine, and displacement. For many TPS holders, the designation was not just a legal route, but also provided a fragile sense of security.

TPS represented the ability to work, raise a family, and contribute to society without fear of removal. Ending it spread the anxiety of TPS holders and their families to the entire community. 

Shakopee resident Yusuf Mahdi, said he knows two families who will be affected by the TPS rollback. He’s seen at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis on Jan. 13, 2026. Credit: Dymanh Chhoun | Sahan Journal

Yusuf Mahdi, a Shakopee resident, said he knows two families, each with one parent protected by TPS, and those people will no longer be protected after March 17. These people have young children, and their lives and families are now disrupted.

“Ending TPS will greatly impact people’s lives. It means families will be ripped apart,” he said.

Businessman Abdulkadir Osman said the president claims to end the temporary protection status because of crimes committed by a few members of the Somali community, but it appears the federal government has another agenda by targeting the entire community. 

“This is not about catching criminals, but rather targeting people the administration considers ‘others,’” Abdulkadir said. 

He said that the Trump administration wants to divide Minnesotans, but the strong reaction to its anti-immigrant drive shows that instead, it is uniting them.  

Amiin Harun, the managing attorney at Harun Law Office, said the exact number is unknown, but many people under TPS protection are currently applying for asylum. 

For those who applied for asylum, when TPS protection expires, their asylum cases will still be processed, so they are not automatically considered unlawfully present. Instead, they have an ongoing legal pathway, Amiin said.

However, Amiin cautioned, “Time is not on their side.” Those under the TPS program should immediately contact an attorney, notify their families, and get their affairs in order in case of deportation.

Halima Elmi, a Somali women’s organizer in Minneapolis, said her community is experiencing its worst fear since the civil war.

Halima and a dozen other women organized to support the community and alert people when ICE is present in the area. They prepare tea, coffee and samosas and bring them to sites where the other ICE observers are. 

Halima herself said she was targeted by ICE agents on Tuesday after she picked up her 8-year-old son from school. She said agents surrounded her car when she stopped for gas.
“The officers immediately got up on my face and said, ‘Where were you born?’ and I told them to back off me. It was like they wanted to start a fight before they could ask for identification,” she said. Like many immigrants in the U.S. today, she was carrying her ID and passport. 

“Even after I showed them my passport, they kept asking me where I was born.” 

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