Trump terminates Somali TPS protections "immediately" for Minnesota's 87,000 Somalis, affecting only 705 with legal status

Trump posted on Truth Social Nov. 21, 2025, claiming he would 'immediately' terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in 🦆Minnesota—but presidents lack authority to end TPS unilaterally. Only DHS Secretary Kristi Noem controls TPS terminations under 8 U.S.C. §1254a, which requires Federal Register notice at least 60 days before expiration. Somalia's current TPS designation runs through Mar. 17, 2026. Trump's post cited 'Somali gangs terrorizing' Minnesota and 'BILLIONS of Dollars missing,' referencing the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud case—though that scheme was organized by white Minnesota executive Aimee Bock.

Only 705 Somalis nationwide hold TPS as of Nov. 2025—approximately 430 in 🦆Minnesota—yet Minnesota is home to 87,000 people of Somali ancestry, making it the largest Somali population in any U.S. state. The vast majority are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or refugees resettled through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, not TPS holders. TPS for Somalia was first designated in 1991 during the civil war and has been extended continuously for 34 years. Current beneficiaries must have resided in the U.S. since Jan. 12, 2023, to qualify under the latest redesignation.

Immigration lawyers immediately flagged Trump's announcement as legally suspect. SLSari Long of Faegre Drinker told KSTP-TV that terminating TPS requires DHS Secretary action through Federal Register publication—the president cannot bypass this statutory process. 🦆Minnesota Attorney General KEKeith Ellison stated his office was 'exploring all available legal options' to challenge any unlawful termination. On Nov. 24, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters she would 'evaluate' Somalia's TPS designation but did not commit to termination, saying TPS 'was always meant to be temporary.'

Trump's rhetoric targeting 🦆Minnesota's Somali community dates to his 2016 campaign, when he called Somali refugees a 'disaster' and claimed Minnesota has 'suffered enough.' In 2019, he told a Minneapolis rally that Representative Ilhan Omar 'looks down with contempt on the hard-working people of Minnesota.' The Nov. 2025 announcement followed a pattern: on Dec. 2, Trump told reporters 'I don't want Somalis here' and urged them to 'go back to their homeland,' making no distinction between TPS holders, refugees, permanent residents, or citizens. ICE announced Dec. 2 it would launch enforcement operations targeting Somali immigrants in Minneapolis.

The Feeding Our Future fraud case Trump referenced involved $250 million stolen from a federal child nutrition program between 2020-2022. Aimee Bock, a white 🦆Minnesota nonprofit executive, ran the scheme, recruiting co-conspirators including many Somali immigrants to create fake meal sites and submit fraudulent reimbursement claims. Federal prosecutors charged 77 people; 18 have been convicted as of Dec. 2025. Trump and conservative media repeatedly characterized the fraud as 'Somali gangs' despite Bock organizing the conspiracy. Minneapolis City Council Member JOJamal Osman told reporters the rhetoric 'paints an entire community with a broad brush' and creates safety risks.

Somalia's TPS designation rests on ongoing armed conflict, drought, and Al-Shabaab terrorist attacks that make return unsafe. The State Department's 2024 Somalia Travel Advisory maintains a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' warning citing terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict. USCIS extended and redesignated Somalia TPS through Mar. 17, 2026, on Jul. 22, 2024, finding conditions preventing safe return persist. Federal law requires DHS to review country conditions and publish termination notices at least 60 days before expiration—Trump cannot circumvent this process via social media post.

Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis serves as the cultural and economic hub for 🦆Minnesota's Somali community. Somali-owned businesses on the West Bank employ thousands and generate tens of millions in economic activity. Community advocates warned Trump's rhetoric and ICE enforcement targeting will devastate families and businesses. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota confirmed any TPS termination must apply nationwide, not to a single state, and current holders would have 60 days after Federal Register publication to prepare for status loss or seek alternative immigration relief like asylum.