FARGO — For decades, the U.S. has allowed Somali refugees to remain in the country because it was unsafe to return home. Now, the federal government says that protection should end.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that they no longer need temporary protected status, or TPS.
Somalia has been under TPS designation since 1991, when civil war broke out and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians. It has been renewed several times over the following decades.
Part of Noem’s statement reads, “Allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests.”
Sekou Sirleaf, a Fargo Human Rights Commission member, said, “What do you expect? Everybody’s trying to seek a greener pasture.”
National sources tell ABC News affiliates there are 2,471 Somali nationals living in the U.S. under TPS, but others, including Julia Decker, policy director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, say the number is likely smaller.
“To give the sort of numeric sense of the impact, there is estimated to only be about 700 people nationwide who have TPS from Somalia,” Decker said.
Fowzia Adde, executive director of the Immigrant Development Center in Moorhead and a Somali refugee herself, said the move is likely to affect newer arrivals, as many Somalis in the metro have been here for decades and are U.S. citizens.
“It’s hard to repeat yourself and tell people, ‘Look, I’m part of you. I’m part of here. I’m part of the success of this community. I’m part of the growth of this community.’ So it’s a very sad time for us to really mention that,” Adde said.
For those impacted, she said being sent back to Somalia could put people in dangerous situations. “The Somali are refugees, and they’re coming to America because of that. If it was safe, why does America have army there? Why are they bombing Somalia?” she said.
Decker said legal options depend on individual circumstances. “They may have different claims, or they may have different, you know, paths forward,” she said.
Meanwhile, Adde said Somali people are tired of being under the microscope and stressed the need for empathy. “Just kind of walk in our shoes in one minute. See how it feels after coming to another country and learning another language and working in different companies that you never worked before, and trying to survive, and all of a sudden, the whole government is against you. It’s a big force,” she said.
Decker said one possible path to restoring TPS would be a legal challenge. If the federal government’s decision is challenged in court, a lawsuit could temporarily block or overturn the termination, though whether that happens depends on if a case is filed and how a judge rules.
Mike McGurran has been a reporter and anchor at WDAY-TV since 2021.