President Donald Trump announced on TruthSocial that he will is terminating Temporary Protected Status from Somalis in Minnesota. According to the post:
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. Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER! President DJT
This move is related to recent revelations of massive welfare fraud being perpetrated by Somalis in the state. That fraud, as we detailed, has been used to raise massive amounts of money for Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
The announcement cites allegations of widespread fraud, gang activity, and missing funds as the primary reasons for the decision.
Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian program established by Congress in 1990 under the Immigration Act. It allows nationals from designated countries experiencing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary conditions to remain temporarily in the United States without fear of deportation. TPS does not provide a path to permanent residency or citizenship but grants work authorization and protection from removal.
Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991 due to civil war and instability, and the status has been extended multiple times by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Minnesota hosts the largest Somali community in the country, estimated at over 80,000 people, many of whom arrived as refugees or under TPS.
During his first term, Trump attempted to terminate TPS for several countries, including Somalia, but faced legal challenges that delayed or blocked those efforts. The Biden administration extended Somalia’s TPS multiple times, most recently through 2025 or beyond, citing persistent violence and humanitarian crises in the country.
The president referenced “Somali gangs” and “billions of dollars missing,” alluding to recent reports of welfare fraud schemes in Minnesota. Investigations have uncovered cases where individuals falsified autism diagnoses to access federal funds, with some proceeds funneled to groups like Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Trump framed the decision as a necessary step to restore law and order, emphasizing Minnesota’s role as a “hub” for such activities under Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
Legal battles are anticipated, drawing parallels to Trump’s first-term attempts, which were halted by federal judges. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organizations have signaled readiness to sue, citing violations of administrative procedure and due process.
One way or another, this process needs to end with the corruption ceased and the anti-American members of the Somali community returned to their homeland. It’s time to enforce the “temporary” aspect of Temporary Protected Status.