By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Mogadishu, August 19 2026 A U.S. federal court in Boston has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia, a decision that could affect nearly 1,100 Somalis living in the United States under protection from deportation.
Judge Allison Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts lifted an earlier injunction on Aug. 14, clearing the way for the government to implement the termination, Reuters reported.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that Somalia’s TPS designation was terminated effective Aug. 14, 2026. TPS provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to nationals of countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or other severe conditions.
The U.S. government has argued that conditions in Somalia have improved and that the country no longer meets the legal requirements for TPS. The decision comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Somalia, at times saying it lacks a functioning government.
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CAIR-Minnesota, which opposes the termination, said the court’s decision does not end the legal challenge. The organization said litigation continues, with plaintiffs arguing the government’s action was influenced by racial and national-origin discrimination and that proper legal procedures were not followed.
CAIR-Minnesota also warned that ending TPS could cause some Somalis to lose work authorization, face deportation or be separated from family and communities.
Although the administration now has a legal path to implement the termination, the court battle challenging the decision remains ongoing.