President Donald Trump’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals will affect fewer than 2,500 individuals nationwide.
This figure represents less than 3% of the foreign-born Somali population in the United States. It accounts for less than 1% of all people of Somali descent living in the country, according to federal data.
The Department of Homeland Security issued an order that Somali nationals with TPS must leave the United States by March 17, 2026, after immigration officials concluded that conditions in Somalia no longer meet the statutory standard for the humanitarian program.
TPS allows nationals of designated countries to live and work in the United States temporarily when their home countries face armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
Federal data show that there are 1,083 Somali TPS holders currently in the United States, with an additional 1,383 people who have pending TPS applications, according to figures cited by DHS in the Federal Register in 2025.
Combined, those 2,466 people account for about 2.5% of the estimated 98,000 foreign-born Somali immigrants, based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey.
When measured against the broader Somali American population, including U.S.-born citizens, the share is even smaller. The Census Bureau estimates that about 259,000 people of Somali descent live in the United States. TPS holders and pending applicants, therefore, make up roughly 1% of the total Somali-origin population nationwide.
Most Somali immigrants in the United States are already U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Census data indicate that about 83% of foreign-born Somalis, or roughly 81,000 people, have naturalized as U.S. citizens. The remaining approximately 17,000 non-citizens include TPS holders, green card holders, refugees who have not yet adjusted status, people on other visas, and an unknown number of illegal aliens.
The administration’s announcement prompted sharp reactions from elected officials and advocacy groups, particularly in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali population in the country.
An estimated 500 to 600 Somali TPS holders live in Minnesota, out of a total Somali-origin population of about 108,000 in the state, according to Fox News and Census data. Data for Texas was unavailable in the Census database.
In a statement supporting the decision, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first,” according to Fox News.
Trump has previously defended the move, stating in November that “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!” per The Guardian.
Democratic officials criticized the termination, arguing that it unfairly targets a community composed primarily of citizens and long-term residents. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said, “We do not blame the lawlessness of an individual on a whole community,” MPR previously reported.
Temporary Protected Status for Somalia was first designated in 1991 amid civil war and humanitarian collapse.
