WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four Somali immigrants, alongside civil rights organizations, have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration in a bid to block the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over a thousand Somalis, a decision that would make them eligible for deportation.
The legal action, filed on Tuesday, names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the defendant and challenges the administration’s move to end the decades-old protection program for Somali nationals. The plaintiffs include the advocacy groups African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans.
At the heart of the lawsuit is the allegation that the administration’s decision is not based on country conditions but on “unconstitutional bias” against non-White immigrants. The plaintiffs argue that the termination is part of a broader pattern of discriminatory immigration policies.
“The administration’s action is a clear overreach that targets Black and brown immigrants,” a spokesperson for the plaintiffs said. “TPS was established for humanitarian reasons, and to end it now, while Somalia still struggles with instability, is both unjust and unlawful.”
The Trump administration has defended its broader push to end TPS designations for several countries, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Cameroon, and Haiti, stating that the program was intended to be a temporary, emergency measure, not a permanent immigration status. “TPS was never intended to be a de facto amnesty programme,” the DHS has previously stated regarding similar terminations.
The DHS has not yet issued a public comment specifically on the new lawsuit.
Background on TPS for Somalia
The United States first designated Somalia for TPS in 1991, following the outbreak of its civil war. The protection, which allows nationals from designated countries to live and work in the U.S. temporarily due to ongoing armed conflict or environmental disaster, has been continuously extended for Somalia for over three decades. Its most recent extension was granted in 2024.
According to DHS data, at least 1,082 Somalis currently hold TPS, with an additional 1,383 applications pending. The program’s termination would leave these individuals vulnerable to deportation to a country that, while improved in some areas, continues to face significant security challenges from the Al-Shabaab militant group.
The lawsuit lands as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration enforcement efforts. The legal challenge also highlights the growing political voice of the Somali-American community, which numbers over 260,000, according to a 2024 U.S. Census Bureau survey. The majority of this community is concentrated in Minnesota and has become increasingly visible in politics, with figures like Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar emerging as prominent critics of the administration’s policies.
The court will now decide whether to grant an injunction that would temporarily halt the termination while the legal arguments are heard.