Donald Trump did, after all, announce sweeping changes to immigration policy. He ordered his administration to cancel the temporary legal protections that allowed Somali migrants to settle in Minnesota. As Trump prepares to reclaim the White House. Now he’s doubling down on one of his 2016 campaign promises — to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Trump’s decision hits Somali migrants particularly hard. Tens of thousands sought shelter here in Minnesota after escaping over two decades of civil war in their homeland of Somalia. Many of these people have obtained temporary protected status, restricted to about 440,000 TPS. This special designation, which is assigned by the Secretary of Homeland Security, permits immigrants from designated countries to reside and work legally in the United States for 18-month increments. Under Trump, the federal government repealed several TPS benefits. This harm extended to 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians who were protected in the past by President Joe Biden.
In his announcement, Trump raised the profile of Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the country. He claimed that it has become a cesspool of corruption and fraud. He asserted that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from.”
We know that ending these protections is in line with Trump’s broader strategy to reduce overall deportations. Specifically, he wants to weaken many immigration programs that he has previously fought against. He has similarly tried to limit TPS for other migrants, such as those from Cuba and Syria.
The former president made his remarks on his social media site, alleging that Minnesota has become a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.” Community leaders and advocates have condemned this unfair and untrue characterization. They claim instead that it spreads negative stereotypes and blinds Minnesotans to the many positive ways Somali immigrants have enriched life in the state.
Minnesota’s robust social programs have long drawn Somali migrants to the state, offering structured support and access to opportunities for settling in and starting anew. What Trump’s comments really did was bring back to life the conversations about the impacts of immigration policy and detention on towns and cities nationwide.
Adding urgency, the Trump administration is seeking to roll out these reforms. Thousands of Somali families in Minnesota are left with an uncertain future as a result. The possible end of TPS has brought to the fore anxieties about physical safety, as well as psychosocial health and overall stability of those impacted.