Federal Court Clears Trump Administration to End TPS for Somali Nationals

BOSTON, United States — A federal court in Boston has cleared the administration of President Donald Trump to proceed with its decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, a move affecting about 1,100 people living in the United States.

The ruling was issued by Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She granted the government’s request to lift a temporary injunction that had prevented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from implementing the termination of Somalia’s TPS designation.TPS is a U.S. immigration programme that allows nationals of designated countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or other extraordinary and temporary conditions to remain legally in the United States and obtain work authorization while the protection remains in effect.Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991, amid the country’s civil war. The designation has been extended and redesignated repeatedly over the years because of continuing security and humanitarian concerns.

Why is Somalia’s TPS being terminated?

In January 2026, DHS, then led by Secretary Kristi Noem, announced that the United States would terminate Somalia’s TPS designation.

A notice published in the Federal Register said the decision followed a review of conditions in Somalia and consultations with other U.S. government agencies. The administration concluded that Somalia no longer met the statutory requirements for continued TPS protection.

DHS argued that conditions related to the conflict in Somalia had changed significantly since the country was first designated in 1991. The department also cited considerations involving national security, foreign policy, public safety and what it described as problems associated with the U.S. immigration system.

The administration further argued that the security situation in Somalia no longer prevented Somali nationals from returning to the country.

According to DHS data, 1,082 people held approved TPS status as of December 8, 2025, while another 1,383 applications were pending at the time.The termination was initially scheduled to take effect on March 17, 2026. However, on March 13, a federal court temporarily blocked the move after Somali TPS holders and two immigrant advocacy organizations challenged the government’s decision.

The legal challenge

The lawsuit was brought by four Somali nationals, along with African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans.The plaintiffs argued that the decision to terminate TPS was unlawful and alleged that bias and discriminatory considerations had influenced the administration’s decision-making process.Judge Burroughs had previously paused implementation of the termination while the case proceeded. The legal situation changed significantly, however, after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 25, 2026, involving TPS protections for nationals of Haiti and Syria.

The Supreme Court removed lower-court orders that had temporarily blocked the termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria, giving the Trump administration greater ability to proceed with TPS terminations.Against that backdrop, Burroughs on August 14 granted the government’s request to lift the injunction blocking the termination of Somalia’s TPS designation.The judge acknowledged that the plaintiffs had demonstrated that they could face serious harm if TPS protections were removed. However, she concluded that the Supreme Court’s ruling made it difficult for her to issue the relief they were seeking.

What does the decision mean for Somali TPS holders?

The termination of TPS does not mean that every affected Somali national will automatically be deported on the day the court ruling was issued.However, people who rely solely on TPS to maintain lawful protection in the United States could lose their protection from removal as well as their employment authorization once the termination takes effect.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its guidance on Somalia’s TPS termination on August 5, noting that the original March 17 termination date had been delayed because of the court order.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) also reported in 2026 that the final court restriction preventing the termination of Somalia’s TPS had been lifted on August 14, and that USCIS had indicated that employment authorization associated with Somalia’s TPS would end on that date.The underlying legal dispute, however, did not necessarily end with the August 14 ruling. While the judge rejected the plaintiffs’ request for emergency relief and allowed the government to proceed with the termination, other legal arguments raised by the plaintiffs remain part of the broader case.

The decision could have significant consequences for Somali nationals in the United States, particularly those who do not have another legal immigration status allowing them to remain and work in the country.The future of Somalia’s TPS designation will depend on the outcome of the continuing litigation and any further legal or administrative action by the U.S. government.