Trump says he will end immigration protections for Somalis in Minnesota | American immigration
Donald Trump said Friday night that he would “immediately” end temporary legal protections for Somali immigrants living in Minnesota, further targeting a program seeking to limit deportations that his administration has already repeatedly sought to weaken.
Minnesota has the largest Somali community in the country. Many fled the long civil war in their East African country and were attracted to the country’s welcoming social programs.
But the number of immigrants who would be affected by Trump’s announcement that he wants to end temporary protected status may be very small. A report submitted to Congress in August estimated that the number of Somalis covered by the program was only 705 across the country.
Congress created the Temporary Protected Status program in 1990. Its goal was to prevent people from being deported to countries experiencing natural disasters, civil wars, or other dangerous conditions.
The designation may be granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security and is granted in 18-month increments.
The president announced his decision on his social media site, noting that Minnesota was a “hub for fraudulent money laundering activities.”
“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great country, and billions of dollars are missing. Send them back where they came from,” Trump wrote. “I finish!”
Trump promised during his election campaign to regain the White House last year that his administration would deport millions of people. As part of a broader push to adopt tougher immigration policies, the Trump administration has moved to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the United States and work legally.
This included ending temporary protected status for 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians who were granted protection under President Joe Biden. The Trump administration has also sought to limit protections previously offered to migrants from Cuba and Syria, among other countries.