President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is immediately terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis citing alleged widespread fraud and criminal activity in Minnesota. The program, which allows migrants to live and work in the United States temporarily, had been extended by the Biden administration through March 2026.
“Minnesota, under Governor Walz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
The announcement follows multiple Minnesota welfare fraud investigations, including the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, the Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program, and federally funded autism services. Prosecutors have described these cases as a network of schemes that allegedly drained billions of taxpayer dollars, with hundreds of convictions filed in recent years.
Investigations indicate that some of the stolen funds were sent through informal money-transfer networks, or “hawalas,” to Somalia, where law enforcement sources assert portions reached the Al-Shabaab terror group.
Minnesota’s Somali community, which numbers roughly 37,000, responded through local representatives. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar remarked, “I am a citizen and so are the majority of Somalis in America. Good luck celebrating a policy change that really doesn’t have much impact on the Somalis you love to hate. We are here to stay.”
Governor Tim Walz criticized the action, asserting that it broadly targets an entire community in response to unverified media reports. The White House and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment.
The decision is expected to fuel debate over immigration and fraud enforcement as Minnesota approaches the 2026 elections. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson emphasized the ongoing nature of investigations, explaining, “Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.”
