US ends temporary protected status for Somalis

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis, requiring those with the designation to leave the country by March 17.

Conditions in Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa, "have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law's requirement for Temporary Protected Status," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

Noem said allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the US is "contrary" to national interests. "We are putting Americans first."

The Homeland Security Department instructed that Somalis who do not have a legal basis allowing them to remain in the US outside of this status should report their departure using the relevant application.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) urged Somalis to leave US by March 17 or they will "receive a visit from ICE."

A total of 2,471 Somali nationals currently hold TPS in the US, with 1,383 additional individuals having pending applications, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The status shields eligible Somali nationals from deportation and grants work authorization while adverse conditions persist in their home country. The designation was extended in July 2024 for 18 months.

US President Donald Trump called for ending TPS for Somalis in Minnesota in November and has repeatedly expressed negative views toward Somalis in the US, seeking to link them to crime and fraud while pushing for their deportation.