The Trump administration is ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants, a decision that will strip work authorizations and legal protections from thousands of people currently living in the United States.

The move comes amid escalating tensions between the White House and state officials in Minnesota, home to the nation’s largest Somali diaspora, where federal immigration enforcement operations have recently surged.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the policy shift Tuesday, saying that Somalis with TPS must leave the country by March 17.

“Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement,” Ms. Noem said. “Temporary means temporary. Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”

Congress established TPS in 1990 to provide refuge to foreign nationals unable to return safely to their home countries due to armed conflict or natural disasters. Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991 following the outbreak of civil war and had its status repeatedly renewed by both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Biden administration most recently extended the protection for 18 months.

According to DHS figures provided to the BBC and Fox News Digital, there are currently 2,471 Somali nationals with TPS status and another 1,383 with pending applications. While this represents a fraction of the total Somali community in America — many of whom are permanent residents or citizens — the revocation marks a significant shift in federal immigration policy.

The administration has previously moved to end TPS for other nations, including Venezuela, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nepal, though several of these attempts have faced legal challenges in federal court.

The announcement follows months of rhetoric from President Trump critical of Somali immigration. He has previously stated that Somalis should “go back to where they came from” and claimed the United States would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.”

On social media Tuesday, DHS posted a message reiterating the administration’s stance: “Our message is clear. Go back to your own country, or we’ll send you back ourselves.”

The revocation of TPS coincides with a major federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis, where DHS has deployed over 2,000 immigration officers. The administration has linked this surge to a fraud investigation involving the state’s childcare industry and federal benefits programs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tensions in the Twin Cities reached a boiling point last week when Jonathan Ross, an immigration enforcement agent, fatally shot 37-year-old American citizen Renee Good during an operation in south Minneapolis. The administration has defended the agent’s actions, with Ms. Noem labeling Good a “domestic terrorist” who “weaponized her vehicle.” Local officials and Good’s family dispute this account.

In response to the federal crackdown, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have sued the Trump administration. “We allege that the obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Monday. “DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area.”