Overview
- USCIS and DHS confirmed Somali TPS will terminate with a March 17 cutoff and warned that those who do not depart could face ICE arrest and removal.
- Estimates of those affected vary, with reports citing about 2,471 current beneficiaries and 1,383 pending applications while other data put the approved total closer to 705 to 1,082.
- The decision lands as federal agencies intensify operations in Minnesota, where Minneapolis and St. Paul sued over immigration sweeps and protests followed the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent.
- DHS framed the move with the message “temporary means temporary,” even as the State Department maintains a Level 4 advisory for Somalia.
- Similar TPS rollbacks for other countries are being litigated, and advocates signal they will challenge the Somalia decision, which could affect the timeline.