Judge Clears Way for Trump Administration to End Somali TPS

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs lifted a stay on Friday, allowing the Donald Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in the United States. The ruling follows a June Supreme Court decision in Mullin v. Doe, which limited the ability of lower courts to review Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decisions to end TPS designations for several countries, including Haiti and Syria.

Judge Burroughs previously blocked the termination in March after advocacy groups and Somali plaintiffs alleged racial bias and Fifth Amendment violations. In her latest ruling, she noted that while plaintiffs presented a convincing case regarding irreparable harm and potential racial animus, she is bound by the Supreme Court's precedent. She stated that circumstantial evidence showed Somalia and its people were being targeted, but such evidence was insufficient to sustain a race-based equal protection claim under the current legal framework.

The Department of Homeland Security, supported by arguments from Secretary Kristi Noem, maintained that conditions in Somalia had improved sufficiently to justify ending the protections despite ongoing conflict with al-Shabaab militants. The decision potentially exposes approximately 2,471 current TPS holders and 1,383 pending applicants to deportation if they lack other lawful bases to remain in the country.