Trump says he will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in Minnesota, citing fraud allegations and rising security concerns. Critics call the move unlawful and politically driven
WASHINGTON — The United States President Donald Trump said Friday he is “immediately” ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis living in Minnesota, a move that could affect several hundred people and ignite a new political battle in a state home to the largest Somali diaspora in the United States.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Minnesota “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and accused “Somali gangs” of exploiting federal benefits programs. “It’s OVER!” he wrote, without citing specific statutory authority for revoking TPS on a state-by-state basis. Federal law does not outline a mechanism for withdrawing TPS for a single geographic region of residents inside the United States.
The president also attack Governor Tim Walz, misspelling the Democrat’s name.
“Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” Trump claimed without providing evidence. “I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota.”
He added, “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! President DJT.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment Friday evening.
TPS, created by Congress in 1990, allows foreign nationals to remain in the United States if returning home would place them in danger. Somalia has held TPS status since 1991 due to conflict and insecurity. According to a 2023 fact sheet from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, about 430 Somali nationals in the state held TPS at the time under an extension authorized by then–Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Political backlash in Minnesota
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of the Somali-American lawmakers in Congress, responded sharply on social media.
“Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate,” Omar posted on X, noting that the majority of Somali-Americans are U.S. citizens or hold permanent residency.
Omar and Trump have clashed frequently over immigration and national-origin issues, with Trump previously telling the congresswoman and other Democratic lawmakers to “go back” to their “crime-infested countries.”
Minnesota Republican Rep. Tom Emmer, responding to recent conservative reports alleging fraud within state programs, wrote on X: “Accountability is coming.”
A swirl of fraud allegations—many still under investigation
Trump’s announcement followed days of renewed scrutiny after a conservative organization alleged that funds stolen in Minnesota fraud schemes had been funneled abroad, including to networks tied to the militant group al-Shabaab. The group is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and several other governments.
Law enforcement agencies have not publicly released investigative findings, but state and federal officials have confirmed ongoing inquiries into welfare fraud and pandemic-era financial crimes. Prosecutors have previously said that some cases—most notably the “Feeding Our Future” scandal—rank among the largest COVID-era fraud investigations in the country.
Some conservative commentators and former officials have gone further, alleging that illicit networks may have routed money overseas.
Tibor Nagy, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, posted on social media that recent reports “seem” to show fraudulent funds reaching al-Shabaab. “You can’t make this stuff up!” Nagy wrote, while stressing he was commenting on public allegations, not presenting independent evidence.
None of the recent claims have been independently verified by federal authorities, and investigators have not publicly linked Minnesota cases to extremist financing.
Concerns about regional instability and the Horn of Africa
The policy debate unfolded amid fresh warnings from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Pentagon-affiliated research institution. In a new assessment, the Center stated that Somalia “is increasingly at risk of becoming a jihadist state” due to political fragmentation, strained federal governance, and al-Shabaab’s territorial reach. The Center said the analysis reflected the views of its scholars, not an official government position.
The assessment drew a sharp contrast between Somalia’s federal turmoil and the relative stability in Somaliland, the self-governing territory that has operated independently since 1991. U.S. officials have not recognized Somaliland as a sovereign state, though advocates argue its institutions offer a bulwark against extremism in a volatile region.
Long-standing scrutiny of fraud allegations in Minnesota’s Somali community
Minnesota’s Somali community has faced episodic federal investigations over the past two decades. In a widely circulated essay published this week, Minneapolis attorney and commentator Scott W. Johnson reviewed past allegations—including a 2008 State Department suspension of a family reunification program after DNA testing revealed extensive misrepresentations in applications, leading the agency to overhaul the program nationwide.
Johnson also repeated long-standing claims—frequently cited by conservative media—that Rep. Omar previously entered a fraudulent marriage. Omar has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless,” and no criminal case has been brought against her. Investigations by local and national news outlets have noted gaps and contradictions in publicly available documents but have been unable to independently verify the claims.
Omar has declined repeated requests from reporters to discuss the allegations, including from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which wrote in 2019 that it could not confirm any familial connection and had “no way to independently verify” key components of the story.
Next steps unclear
It remains unclear whether the Department of Homeland Security can revoke TPS based on a president’s directive targeting a subset of residents within a single state. DHS has not yet issued formal guidance.
Immigration attorneys said Friday that any immediate attempt to rescind TPS for Somalis in Minnesota would likely face court challenges.
“This is uncharted territory,” said one immigration scholar, who asked not to be named because her university had not authorized her to speak publicly. “TPS is a national designation tied to conditions in the home country—not to where someone lives inside the United States.”
For now, Somali TPS holders in Minnesota remain in legal limbo, awaiting a formal rulemaking process or clarification from DHS.
