Several Somali immigrants and advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over its decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 1,000 Somali nationals, a move that could expose them to deportation.
Filed in a Boston federal court on March 9, the lawsuit claims the decision to terminate the programme was procedurally flawed and influenced by discriminatory motives. The plaintiffs, including the advocacy groups African Communities Together and Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, argue that the policy reflects unconstitutional bias against non-White immigrants.
Temporary Protected Status allows migrants from countries affected by conflict, disasters, or instability to live and work legally in the United States without facing deportation. TPS was first granted to Somalis in 1991 due to the country’s prolonged civil war and was last extended in 2024.
The controversy intensified after statements attributed to Donald Trump describing Somalis with derogatory remarks, comments that have drawn widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 1,082 Somalis currently benefit from TPS, with more than 1,300 additional applications still pending. Somali Americans represent a significant diaspora community in the United States, particularly in Minnesota.
The legal challenge comes as the Trump administration continues broader efforts to end TPS protections for migrants from several countries, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Cameroon and Haiti.
Source: TRT Africa
