The president’s announcement comes after years of targeting migrants from African countries who resettled in the state during the Somalia conflict.
President Trump dismisses past criticism of Mayor-elect Mamdani
“I’ve been told worse.” President Donald Trump dismissed past criticism of incoming New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani.
President Donald Trump announced on November 21 that he is immediately ending temporary deportation protection for Somalis living in Minnesota.
“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of our great country and billions of dollars are unaccounted for,” President Trump said on Truth Social. “As President of the United States, I hereby end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Somalis in the State of Minnesota, effective immediately.”
President Trump’s move to eliminate protections for Somalis comes after years of targeting Somali immigrants every election cycle in Minnesota since he first ran for president in 2016.. The state has become a destination for Somali immigrants in recent decades, dating back to the 1990s.
According to 2023 Census Bureau data Opens in a new tab, 63,192 people in Minnesota have Somali ancestry, the highest concentration in the country, followed by Ohio, where nearly 30,000 people report Somali ancestry.
In the decades since the first wave of Somali immigrants arrived in Minnesota, Somalis have established thriving cultural and business districts, sent their children to college, and elected leaders from their communities to the Minnesota City Council, mayorships, Congress, and the U.S. Congress.
The predominantly white and Christian Midwest state of 5.7 million people has also faced resistance ranging from violent threats and vandalism to general racial and religious tensions. Somali migrants have been the focus of local efforts to prevent refugee resettlement, and there are fears they will be targeted by local police. The most visible elected official in our community – U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). – Trump himself is a frequent target of anti-Muslim threats and rumors.
Still, most Minnesotans are welcoming, according to about a dozen Minnesota Somali community members, leaders and allies who spoke with USA TODAY, and the state’s generous state policy on refugee resettlement, recently advocated by Gov. Tim Walz, has made the state a popular destination for East Africans fleeing dangerous environments and returning home.
Walz, who ran alongside Kamala Harris for vice president alongside Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, has expanded on existing policies aimed at welcoming Somali immigrants. Walz approved continued resettlement in 2019 when President Trump signed an executive order giving state and local governments the power to refuse incoming refugees. Mr. Walz then approved a program that would provide undocumented immigrants with driver’s licenses, free college tuition, and health insurance.
Riley Begin, USA TODAY contributor. Reuters
