President Trump Ends Legal Protections for Somali Migrants in Minnesota
In a significant move affecting immigration policy, President Donald Trump announced on Friday the immediate termination of temporary legal protections for Somali migrants residing in Minnesota. This decision marks another step in the administration’s ongoing efforts to curtail programs designed to limit deportations.
President Donald Trump talks after meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, largely due to the state’s welcoming social initiatives and the civil conflict in Somalia. However, this recent policy change might affect only a limited number of individuals, as a congressional report from August noted that 705 Somalis are under the program nationwide.
The Temporary Protective Status (TPS) program, established by Congress in 1990, aims to protect individuals from deportation to countries facing natural disasters, conflict, or other hazardous conditions. The status is renewable in 18-month increments by the Homeland Security secretary.
Trump’s announcement was made on his social media platform, where he claimed Minnesota to be “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” He stated, “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations expressed strong opposition to Trump’s decision, stating it “will tear families apart.” Executive Director Jaylani Hussein commented, “This is not just a bureaucratic change; it is a political attack on the Somali and Muslim community driven by Islamophobic and hateful rhetoric.”
Throughout his campaign, President Trump pledged to deport millions of individuals, and this termination reflects his administration’s broader approach to implementing strict immigration policies. This includes ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians who had been given protection by the Biden administration, as well as reducing protections for migrants from Cuba, Syria, and other nations.
Related: Trump’s immigration policies impact where immigrants live
