A coalition of Somali immigrants and advocacy groups has filed a legal challenge against the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the United States. The suit, filed Tuesday in a Massachusetts district court, argues the decision is motivated by racial bias and violates the U.S. Constitution.
Key points
Details
TPS currently shields roughly 1,080 Somali nationals from deportation, allowing them to live and work legally in the U.S. The challenge cites President Donald Trump’s public statements disparaging Somalis and contends the termination aims to target the community based on race and national origin. DHS is named as a defendant in the case, brought by African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans.
The administration’s move follows Trump’s 2017 inclusion of Somalia in his travel ban and escalated after allegations surfaced in 2025 of Somali-led fraud schemes siphoning billions of dollars from Minnesota assistance programs. In November 2025, Trump abruptly announced ending TPS for Somalis in Minnesota, describing the state as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
The DHS officially changed Somalia’s TPS designation in January under then-Secretary Kristi Noem. A DHS spokesperson emphasized that Somalia no longer meets the legal criteria for TPS due to improved conditions and framed the termination as aligning with national interests.
TPS protection under U.S. immigration law allows nationals from countries facing war or disaster to reside temporarily in the U.S. Somalia has held TPS since 1991, spanning over 35 years.
The plaintiffs counter that Somalia continues to experience severe insecurity because of ongoing armed conflicts, including terrorist activity by groups like Al-Shabaab. They cite human rights abuses documented in Somalia, contesting the administration’s assessment that conditions no longer warrant TPS.
DHS declined to comment on its evaluation of Somalia’s current security situation.
For more stories on this topic, visit our category page.