Somalis File Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Move to End TPS

Some Somali immigrants and advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plan to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 1,000 Somalis, citing procedural flaws and alleged discriminatory bias. TPS allows migrants from conflict-affected countries to live and work in the US without risk of deportation. The program was first granted to Somalia in 1991, and over 1,000 Somalis currently hold TPS, with thousands more having pending applications.

Some Somali immigrants have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 1,000 Somalis, a move that could lead to their deportation from the United States. TPS is a special program that allows migrants from countries facing conflicts, natural disasters, or persecution to live and work in the US without fear of removal.
Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced in January that the decision to terminate TPS for Somalis was based on improvements in conditions in Somalia, suggesting that the affected individuals could safely return home. However, on Monday, March 9, four Somali individuals and two advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in Boston federal court, arguing that the decision was “procedurally flawed” and driven by a “discriminatory, predetermined” agenda.
The plaintiffs cited a series of statements made by former President Donald Trump, including remarks in which he described Somalis as “garbage” and “low IQ people” who “contribute nothing.” These comments were widely condemned both within the United States and internationally. The advocacy groups involved in the lawsuit include African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans. They argued that the Trump administration’s decision reflected “unconstitutional bias” against non-White immigrants.
The US Department of Homeland Security has not publicly commented on the court case. Previously, it stated that TPS was “never intended to be a de facto amnesty programme.” The Trump administration has also moved to end TPS for thousands of individuals from other countries, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Cameroon, and Haiti.
TPS was first granted to Somalia in 1991 due to the country’s civil war, with the most recent extension being issued in 2024. According to the Department of Homeland Security, at least 1,082 Somalis currently hold TPS, while 1,383 additional applications are pending. Over 260,000 people of Somali descent live in the United States, with the majority now US citizens residing in Minnesota, according to a 2024 US Census Bureau survey.
Somali Americans have become increasingly active in US politics, with Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar being a prominent critic of the Republican Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement policies. The lawsuit highlights ongoing tensions over immigration policy, racial bias, and the treatment of long-standing immigrant communities in the United States.