The decision is expected to affect about 1,100 people and is likely to face legal challenges.
Published On 13 Jan 2026
The administration of United States President Donald Trump will end temporary deportation protections and work permits for some Somali nationals in the US, authorities say.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that the Trump administration was ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which shields migrants from deportation to countries where it is deemed unsafe to return and grants temporary work authorisation, for Somalis living in the US.
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“Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status,” Noem said in a statement. “Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”
The decision, which is expected to affect about 1,100 people, is likely to face legal challenges.
The Somali community has become a frequent target of the Trump administration. The US president has called Somalis “garbage” and depicted them as criminals.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has lashed out at Somalis in the US, alleging large-scale public benefit fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the country, with about 80,000 members.
Trump has threatened to strip any natura