Minneapolis (Somalia Today) — Minnesota leaders are pushing back after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would immediately end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the state, citing unproven claims of fraud and gang activity.
The move has rattled Somali families and alarmed officials who say it stigmatizes an entire community while touching only a small number of TPS holders.
Trump’s late-night statement focused on Somalis in Minnesota, which hosts the largest Somali community in the United States. Most Somali residents there are U.S. citizens or hold other forms of legal status.
Critics warn that his rhetoric will deepen fear and fuel anti-Muslim hostility, whatever happens next with the policy.
Unproven fraud claims
In a post on Truth Social on November 21, Trump described Minnesota as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” under Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
He claimed, “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing.” However, he offered no evidence to support the accusations or to link any alleged fraud to Somali TPS holders.
“I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota,” he wrote, framing the decision as a response to supposed crimes and welfare fraud.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Trump cannot lawfully terminate TPS “for just one state or on a bigoted whim” and vowed to examine legal options.
In a post on X, he praised Somalis as “an integral part of our state, our culture, and our community.” He accused the president of relying on scare tactics and scapegoating.
Farah Mohamed Ali, a Somali American journalist based in Minnesota, told Somalia Today that the fraud narrative is designed to turn neighbors against each other rather than address any real problem.
“These accusations are propaganda against the Somali community,” he said. “The aim is to make other residents suspicious of Somalis and to set communities against one another. No one has any concrete evidence that money has been sent from Minnesota to Al-Shabaab. If such supporters existed here, they would already be in jail.”
“I see these far-right attacks as Islamophobia and racism,” he added. “They are also an attempt to smear the governor of Minnesota, who is not in the same party and does not share their views on ICE operations.”
Small TPS pool
TPS is a federal program that grants temporary legal status and work permits to eligible foreign nationals from countries affected by conflict or natural disasters, when U.S. authorities determine that returning would be unsafe.
Congress created the program in 1990, and President George H.W. Bush first granted Somalia TPS in 1991, as civil war engulfed the country.
The Biden administration extended and redesignated TPS for Somalia in 2024, with the current round set to run through March 17, 2026.
A recent Congressional Research Service report estimates that only 705 Somali-born individuals nationwide have TPS. By comparison, hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Salvadorans benefit from the same program.
Legal experts say Trump’s vow to end Somali TPS “immediately” for one state will almost certainly face court challenges.
TPS is a national designation with detailed rules governing when and how the government can terminate it. Immigration lawyers argue that carving out Minnesota alone would clash with federal law and is likely to be blocked.
Community on edge
Minnesota has been a major destination for Somali migrants since the 1990s. U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023 indicate that more than 63,000 people in the state report Somali ancestry, the highest concentration in the country. Ohio, with nearly 30,000, ranks second.
Over the decades, Somali Minnesotans have built business districts, opened mosques and community centers, and sent their children to local universities.
Somali Americans now serve on city councils, in mayoral offices, in the state legislature, and in the U.S. Congress, most prominently Representative Ilhan Omar. At the same time, they have faced racist harassment, vandalism, and repeated attempts to halt refugee resettlement in the state.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, said Trump’s move punishes people who followed the rules.
“These are legal immigrants and they should not suffer as a consequence of a political football that’s being played against the Muslim community,” he said, warning that families could be split if the order goes ahead.
Minnesota’s Democratic leadership has worked in the opposite direction. When Trump previously signed a 2019 order allowing states to reject new refugee resettlement, Walz chose to keep Minnesota open to arrivals.
Since then, he has supported measures to extend driver’s licenses, provide tuition support, and expand some health coverage to undocumented residents.
Republicans have condemned those policies as incentives for illegal migration, while supporters say they improve safety and integration.
Legal fight ahead
Abshir Omar, a political strategist who backed Trump in the 2024 presidential race, said he expects the TPS decision to land in court.
He also warned that the move could damage Washington’s relationship with Somalia, which has sought deeper security cooperation and investment from U.S. companies.
For now, Minnesota leaders push back through legal threats and public statements. At the same time, Somali families race to understand what the announcement means for their future.
Lawyers say it remains unclear how fast any change could move through the system, or how judges will respond to an order that singles out one state within a national program.
Community advocates fear the rhetoric alone has already done damage. “The words themselves have consequences,” Ali said. “They make our neighbors question who we are, when all we want is to live, work, and raise our families in peace.”
