Somalia TPS Has Ended, But the Court Fight Continues: What Somali Applicants Should Know

For Somali nationals in the United States, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been an important protection. It can allow people to stay and to work. The U.S. government has now ended Somalia's TPS designation, and a court case over that decision is still moving forward. Here is what has happened so far. In January 2026, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would end TPS for Somalia. DHS said conditions in Somalia had improved enough that the country no longer met the legal requirements for TPS. The termination was first set for March 17, 2026. A federal court in Massachusetts paused the termination in March, while a lawsuit called African Communities Together v. Mullin went forward. That pause did not last. In June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in a similar case, Mullin v. Doe, that sharply limited courts' power to review most TPS terminations. In August, the judge in the Somalia case lifted the pause. USCIS now says the Somalia TPS designation ended on August 14, 2026. The legal fight is not over. On October 27, 2026, Minnesota Attorney General Ellison led a group of 17 state attorneys general in filing a friend-of-the-court brief. The brief supports the plaintiffs' request that a federal appeals court reverse the lower court's refusal to grant emergency relief. The brief itself does not change anyone's immigration status. I did not find a ruling from the appeals court in the sources I checked. What this means for you: If you are a Somali national who held TPS, August 14, 2026 is the date to know. People who no longer have TPS may lose their work authorization unless they have another lawful basis to stay in the United States. That basis could be a pending or approved green card case, another visa status, or a pending asylum case. If you have a pending TPS application, a work permit, or a case with USCIS, check your case status on the official USCIS website and keep every notice you receive. Do not ignore letters from USCIS, and do not miss any court or immigration deadline. Court results can change quickly, so check the USCIS Somalia page often. Talk to an immigration attorney or an accredited legal aid group as soon as possible. They can look at your own documents and tell you what options may apply to you. If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask a local immigrant service organization or a nonprofit legal clinic for help. Be careful with anyone who promises a guaranteed result or asks for payment to file forms. Only an authorized attorney or accredited representative should give you legal advice about your case. This article is general information, not legal advice. Sources: Temporary Protected Status Designated Country: Somalia (USCIS): https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-somalia Homeland Security Terminates Somalia's Temporary Protected Status Designation (DHS): https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation Attorney General Ellison again leads court defense of Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Somalia (Minnesota AG): https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/27_Temporary-Protected-Status.asp Defense of protected status for Somali immigrants filed by AG Ellison (FOX 9): https://www.fox9.com/news/defense-protected-status-somali-immigrants-filed-ag-ellison-oct-27-2026 Photo: Katerina Shkribey on Unsplash