Trump says he's ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota

Christopher Vondracek, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Nov 22, 2025

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he is ending Temporary Protected Status for Somalis living in Minnesota.

In a post to Truth Social, Trump wrote Minnesota is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and called out “Somali gangs.”

“It’s OVER!” the president posted Friday evening.

TPS is a legal status granted by the Department of Homeland Security allowing foreign nationals to live in the U.S. if returning to their home country puts them in harm’s way. Somalia’s status has been in effect since 1991 and is due to expire in March.

The White House did not respond to questions.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said ending deportation protections for Somali immigrants in Minnesota “will tear families apart” and called on the president to reverse his decision.

There were about 430 Somalis in the state with TPS protections as of 2023, according to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Nationwide, there were 705 Somalis living in the United States with Temporary Protected Status as of March 31, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

Federal law says the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security must publish notice in the Federal Register if TPS is being revoked.

“Termination may not take effect earlier than 60 days after publication or the expiration of the most recent previous extension, whichever is later,” the congressional report said — meaning the existing expiration date, March 17, is likely the earliest Somalia’s status can be revoked.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration ended TPS for Venezuela, which did not take effect until last month when the Supreme Court granted the emergency request following legal challenges.

Trump’s post Friday evening alleged without evidence the misappropriation of “BILLIONS” of dollars in Minnesota and blamed Gov. Tim Walz.

Walz responded on X: “It’s not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community. This is what he does to change the subject.”

Trump said to send Somalis “back to where they came from.” It’s a common anti-immigrant refrain he has used before against Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat representing Minneapolis who was born in Somalia.

In a response posted to social media, Omar said she — and a majority of Somalis in America — are U.S. citizens.

“Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate. We are here to stay,” Omar wrote on X.

Minnesota is home to more Somalis than any other state. Since 1979, more than 26,000 Somali refugees have settled in Minnesota, according to the state Department of Health. Civil war and instability have beset the East African country for decades.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Friday night his office is “monitoring the situation and exploring all of our options.”

“Somali folks came to Minnesota fleeing conflict, instability and famine, and they have become an integral part of our state, our culture and our community,” Ellison wrote on X. “Donald Trump cannot terminate TPS for just one state or on a bigoted whim.”

The action also got a rebuke from Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

“Another late-night threat by Donald Trump, and this time he’s going after people in just one state with legal status,” the Minnesota Democrat posted on X. “Maybe the President should spend his evenings working on bringing down costs instead of targeting Somalis who have been in our country for years.”

Trump’s post comes just days after a conservative organization, citing numerous anonymous sources, alleged al-Shabab, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and other nations, had improperly received funds from fraud linked to Minnesota state government.

Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer posted on X in response to that story: “Accountability is coming.”

In a letter shared with right-wing outlet Breitbart, Emmer wrote to U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen urging him to “open an investigation into reports that Minnesota taxpayer dollars are ending up in the hands of the al-Shabab terrorist network in Somalia.”

The state has been the focus of several federal investigations targeting fraud in programs meant to provide emergency housing, food support and autism care. The $250 million Feeding our Future scandal led to charges against more than 70 defendants, most with Somali community-based programs.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican running for governor, posted that “anyone involved in these criminal activities should be swiftly deported if they are not lawfully present in the U.S.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on Friday: “Standing with our Somali community today. Minneapolis has your back — always.”