Federal judge halts termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia, giving hundreds in Minnesota relief

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia was paused by a federal judge in Boston just four days before it was set to end. 

President Trump promised the end of TPS for Somalia shortly before thousands of ICE and other federal agents descended across Minnesota under Operation Metro Surge, a force that brutally and relentlessly targeted numerous diaspora communities and allies. In an action to challenge the termination of Somalia’s designation for TPS, four Somali individuals who faced serious harms if TPS were to end abruptly, were joined by African Communities Together and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs were represented by Muslim Advocates, Haitian Bridge Alliance and the Legal Defense Fund. 

The plaintiffs asserted, “if Somalia’s TPS designation is allowed to terminate, over one thousand people will face ‘a myriad of grave risks,’ including detention and

deportation, physical violence if removed to Somalia, and forced separation from family

members.”

The designation of TPS for Somalia began in 1991. The Department of Homeland Security claims conditions in the country are safe and stable enough for return, however that is contrary to the recommendation of the Department of State, which has kept Somalia within the list of countries that should not be traveled. 

In a press release Tuesday, the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the court intervention and emphasized that the handling of these critical protections should not be as fickle as it has been. 

“Somali families should not have to rely on last-minute court orders to remain safe in the only home many of them have known for decades,” said Suleiman Adan, deputy executive director of CAIR-MN. 

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs for Massachusetts was appointed by former President Barack Obama and has been previously called a “Trump hating judge” by Trump. 

Her court order stated, “The Court will implement an administrative stay and defer ruling on postponement” giving time to each side to further form their arguments. The order went on to affirm that those with TPS status based on Somalia’s designation or pending TPS applications maintain the rights afforded to them under this designation, including being able to continue working and protection from deportation. 

The timeline of further rulings on Somalia’s TPS designation isn’t yet clear and largely depends on the pace of the court.