The Donald Trump administration has ended Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is encouraging self-deportation before March 17, or they threaten Somalian immigrants will “receive a visit from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).” The TPS program allows nationals to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation, back to countries that are unsafe due to conditions such as famine, war, and environmental disasters.
Back in November 2025, the Trump administration previously ended Haiti’s TPS, claiming the nation no longer met the needed requirements. The move left over 350,000 Haitian migrants set to lose legal status as of February 3, 2026.
On Tuesday (January 13), the DHS website announced its ending of Somalia’s TPS designation. The official press release read, “Today, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the termination of Somalia’s designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The termination will be effective on March 17, 2026.”
Speaking on the ending of Somalia’s TPS, Noem said:
“Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”
Department of Homeland Security Tells Somali Nationals To Self-Deport Before March 17 Or Else After Donald Trump Ends Temporary Protected Status
DHS continued to share:
“Somalia’s designation expires March 17, 2026. At least 60 days before a TPS designation expires, the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with appropriate U.S. government agencies, must review the country to determine whether the conditions supporting its designation continue to be met and, if so, how long to extend the designation.”
DHS encouraged Somalians with TPS to self-deport. They also noted that there is an phone application (app) for nationals to self-deport. Additionally, if they do so, they will receive a “complimentary plane ticket” and a “$1,000 exit bonus.” DHS wrote:
Somali nationals who do not have a legal status other than TPS that would allow them to remain in the United States should use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP Home mobile app to report their departure from the United States. The app is a safe, secure way to self-deport and includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and the opportunity for potential future legal immigration.”
The move arrives after President Trump recently criticized Somali immigrants. He described them as “garbage,” adding he doesn’t want them in the United States. During a Cabinet meeting last month in Pennsylvania, he said:
“We always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime. The only thing they’re good at is going after ships.”
According to ABC News, by the Trump administration revoking TPS for Somalia, it leaves nearly 3,000 Somali nationals facing deportation.
As of Tuesday (January 13), a source told the publication there are 2,471 Somali nationals currently in the U.S. under TPS, with 1,383 in the country with pending TPS applications. As of 2024, there are nearly 260,000 Americans of Somali descent residing in the U.S, according to the census.
Speaking on the revocation, the Minneapolis Delegation of the Minnesota House of Representatives issued the following statement:
“The termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals and other impacted communities represents a significant departure from decades of bipartisan humanitarian policy. These decisions place long-standing Minnesota residents—who have lived, worked, and raised families here legally—at immediate risk of losing their lawful status and being forced into uncertainty.
TPS exists because conditions in designated countries meet clear statutory standards related to conflict and instability. Ending these protections does not change the realities on the ground abroad, but it does create fear, disrupt families, and destabilize communities here at home.
As the Minneapolis Delegation, we stand with Somali Minnesotans and with all communities impacted by the termination of TPS. We oppose immigration policies that separate families, undermine community stability, and erode public trust.
Immigrant and refugee communities are an essential part of Minneapolis and Minnesota. They are our neighbors, coworkers, healthcare workers, educators, small-business owners, and civic leaders. Our state is stronger because of their contributions, and we will continue to advocate for policies that protect the safety, dignity, and stability of every community impacted by these decisions.”
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