President Donald Trump announced on Friday an immediate cessation of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals residing in Minnesota. The President's decisive action is attributed to concerns over purported fraudulent financial activities and crimes associated with Somali gangs in the state. The announcement was disseminated via Truth Social, where the President stated, "Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota."
The termination of TPS for Somalis represents a stark deviation from the policies of the prior administration. In July 2024, the Biden administration extended the TPS for Somali nationals in the U.S. until March 17, 2026. As of March 2025, approximately 705 Somali nationals were participants in the program. However, the specific number residing in Minnesota remains indeterminate.
Established to offer humanitarian relief, TPS allows migrants from countries afflicted by conflict or disasters to live and work legally in the United States temporarily. The recent decision by President Trump arrives amidst a backdrop of extensive fraud investigations within Minnesota, as reported by the New York Post. Additionally, the City Journal highlighted allegations that stolen welfare funds might have been channeled to the Somalia-based terror organization al-Shabab. Sources including ex-state fraud investigators, legislators, and federal counterterrorism officials, indicated that the majority of fraud case defendants were of Somali or Somali American descent.
While the President has linked the termination of TPS to Somali gangs, Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who is herself Somali American, minimized the significance of the policy change. "I am a citizen and so are the majority of Somalis in America," Omar stated. "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."
This move by President Trump is among his administration's most assertive steps in combating immigration-related fraud, specifically targeting communities entangled in ongoing investigative efforts. As of yet, officials have not divulged comprehensive instructions on how the policy termination will be executed or if any exceptions will be upheld. Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, has not issued a public statement in response, and as of this reporting, neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security have commented.
The President's action is poised to reignite debates over TPS policies, the rights of immigrants, and the federal government's role in regulating state-level fraud, especially as President Trump frames the issue from the perspectives of law enforcement and national security.
