President Donald Trump’s pledge to “immediately” end temporary legal protections for Somali immigrants living in Minnesota has stirred anxiety across the state’s large Somali community and raised significant doubts about whether the administration has the authority to enact such a directive.
In a late-night post on Truth Social, Trump vowed to revoke Temporary Protected Status—known as TPS—for Somali nationals, a program that shields immigrants from deportation to countries experiencing conflict or disaster.
The announcement prompted sharp pushback from Minnesota officials, legal experts, and community advocates, who warned that the threat appeared more political than legally grounded.
“There’s no legal mechanism that allows the president to terminate protected status for a particular community or state that he has beef with,” said Heidi Altman, policy director at the National Immigrant Justice Center. “This is Trump doing what he always does: demagoguing immigrants without justification or evidence.”
Even if the administration attempts to end TPS for Somalia nationwide—a decision it must finalize by mid-January—the change would affect only a small number of people.
A congressional report released in August found that just 705 Somalis across the United States are currently protected under the program.
Minnesota, home to tens of thousands of Somali Americans, is overwhelmingly composed of naturalized citizens, U.S.-born children, permanent residents, and visa holders.
“I am a citizen and so are the majority of Somalis in America,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wrote on social media. “Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate.”
Still, local leaders warned that the president’s language could inflame hostility toward a community already experiencing rising Islamophobia. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the announcement “a political attack on the Somali and Muslim community driven by Islamophobic rhetoric.”
Trump justified his position by alleging, without evidence, that Somali gangs operate criminal networks in the state and that Minnesota is a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
Federal prosecutors have recently brought charges in a large social-services fraud case that includes some Somali defendants, but state officials note that Minnesota consistently ranks among the safest states in the country.
“This is what he does to change the subject,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said his office is reviewing legal options. “Trump cannot terminate TPS for just one state or on a bigoted whim,” he said. “Somali folks came to Minnesota fleeing conflict, instability and famine, and they have become an integral part of our state.”
TPS for Somalia has been renewed 27 times since 1991, when the country collapsed into civil war after the fall of longtime ruler Siad Barre. Decades of instability, including the rise of al-Shabab, have made Somalia one of the world’s most dangerous places, according to U.S. assessments.
Advocates argue that Trump’s declaration disregards both legal constraints and the contributions of the Somali diaspora, which has transformed neighborhoods, opened businesses, and grown into a significant political presence in Minnesota.
“Destabilizing families and communities makes all of us less safe, not more,” Altman said.
The pledge comes as part of Trump’s broader effort to reassert hard-line immigration policies, including proposals to roll back protections for Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Syrians—moves that critics say are motivated more by political theater than national security.
