Trump Administration Moves to End TPS Protections for Somali Migrants

By Staff, Agencies

A US federal judge has cleared the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status [TPS] for nearly 1,100 Somalis living and working in the United States.

US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston allowed the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] to proceed with ending Somalia’s designation, following a June US Supreme Court ruling that enabled the administration to terminate similar protections for thousands of Haitians and Syrians.

The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling limited federal judges’ ability to review DHS decisions to end TPS designations, narrowing legal avenues for migrants challenging the administration’s efforts to revoke protections for nationals of 13 countries.

The move has faced opposition from Somali migrants and advocacy groups amid continued fighting between Somali forces and al-Shabaab.

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced in January that the administration planned to end TPS for Somalis, arguing that conditions in Somalia had improved enough to justify the move.

However, Burroughs initially blocked the decision in March after four Somali plaintiffs and two advocacy groups, including African Communities Together, challenged it.

They argued that the administration’s decision was influenced by bias against non-white immigrants, citing previous remarks by Trump describing Somalis as “garbage” and “low IQ people.”

Following the Supreme Court ruling, Burroughs temporarily maintained the block while considering whether the plaintiffs could pursue other legal challenges. Her latest ruling now allows DHS to terminate Somalia’s TPS designation.

Meanwhile, federal judges in Boston and Chicago last week also cleared the administration to end TPS for thousands of nationals from South Sudan and Myanmar.

Ethiopia is now the only country among the affected cases where termination remains blocked by a judge.

The rulings further narrow the ability of lower federal courts to halt the administration’s efforts to revoke TPS protections for migrants from countries affected by conflict, disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.

TPS allows eligible nationals of designated countries to remain legally in the United States and work while returning home is considered unsafe.

The Trump administration has moved to roll back the protections for several nationalities, arguing that conditions in their countries no longer warrant the humanitarian measure.

The Somalia case highlights the broader consequences of the policy shift, as Washington cites improved conditions while continued armed conflict and instability remain central to disputes over whether returning migrants is safe.