Trump Administration Moves to End TPS for Somalis

President Donald Trump secured a significant win on Friday when a judge appointed by Obama allowed immigration officials to proceed with terminating temporary legal protections for many Somalis in the United States.

Boston U.S. District Judge Alison Burrows had earlier issued an injunction blocking the government’s attempt to end Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, she later rescinded that injunction, acknowledging the need to comply with a Supreme Court ruling from June that restricted federal judges’ authority to counter certain executive branch actions.

This ruling, as reported, enables the Trump administration to continue its plans to dismantle TPS protections for Somali individuals, which might lead to deportation for many who lack alternative legal grounds to stay in the U.S.

Created by Congress in 1990, TPS is designed to provide vital protections for individuals arriving from nations experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters, thereby making it unsafe for them to return home. It also permits them to work in the U.S.

The administration indicated intentions to revoke Somalia’s TPS designation back in January, with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserting that conditions in the country had improved enough to discontinue these protections.

A lawsuit launched by four Somalis along with two advocacy groups contested this decision, prompting Judge Burrows to issue her initial injunction.

Yet, the Supreme Court’s ruling confirmed that the TPS Act limits judicial review of certain questionable administrative choices, including the revocation of TPS status.

Essentially, the Supreme Court decision diminished the lower courts’ ability to assess the Trump administration’s attempts to revoke TPS for nationals from various countries.

Judge Burrows noted that the plaintiffs convincingly illustrated that losing their TPS status would cause them “irreparable harm.” Still, she ultimately lifted the injunction based on the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

Counting current data, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that 2,471 Somalis in the U.S. were under TPS, with 1,383 additional applicants seeking that status.

Along with Somalia, the Trump administration has also ended TPS for Cameroon, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, bringing the total to 13 countries affected by this recent round of terminations, which include Afghanistan, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Nepal, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Myanmar.

This strategy aligns with the Trump administration’s broader initiative to revoke TPS designations that have safeguarded many foreign nationals from deportation.