DHS ends Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status effective March 17, 2026

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status the U.S. government can give to people already in the U.S. whose home country is considered too dangerous to return to because of armed conflict, a natural disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

Who qualifies, in general:

• Must be a national of a country that has been officially designated for TPS (or a stateless person whose last habitual residence was that country).
• Must already be in the United States and meet the country‑specific deadlines for:
  • continuous physical presence, and
  • continuous residence.
• Must apply during the initial registration or re‑registration period (or qualify for late filing).
• Must not have certain criminal convictions (no felony or 2+ misdemeanors in the U.S.) and must not be inadmissible on certain security or criminal grounds.

TPS protects people from deportation and lets them apply for work authorization, but it does not by itself give a green card or permanent status.

Sources:

• USCIS, "Temporary Protected Status" (what TPS is and basic eligibility) https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status
• 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (statutory definition and eligibility for TPS) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1254a&num=0&edition=prelim

Kristi Noem is the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement shows she is the official who decided to terminate Somalia’s TPS designation effective March 17, 2026.

Authority to terminate TPS:

• Under U.S. law (Immigration and Nationality Act § 244, codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1254a), the authority to designate and terminate TPS for a country is given to the Attorney General, and that authority has been transferred by statute and regulation to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
• The law requires the Secretary, at least 60 days before a TPS designation expires, to review country conditions (after consulting other U.S. government agencies). If the Secretary determines the country no longer meets TPS criteria, they must terminate the designation by publishing a notice in the Federal Register.

Sources:

• DHS press release, "Homeland Security Terminates Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status Designation" https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation
• 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(1), (b)(3) (designation and termination authority and procedures) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1254a&num=0&edition=prelim

When Somalia’s TPS designation ends on March 17, 2026:

• Somali nationals who only had TPS (and no other legal status) will lose their TPS protection. That means:
  • they will no longer be shielded from deportation, and
  • their TPS‑based work authorization will eventually expire and not be renewed.
• People who have another valid status (for example, a green card, student visa, or pending asylum that is independent of TPS) can generally stay in the U.S. under that other status.
• Those who remain in the U.S. without any lawful status after TPS ends can be placed in removal (deportation) proceedings.

The DHS notice specifically tells Somali nationals without another status to use the CBP Home app to report their departure from the U.S.

Sources:

• DHS, "Homeland Security Terminates Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status Designation" (effective date and instruction to depart) https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation
• USCIS, TPS overview (TPS is temporary and does not itself give another immigration status) https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status

When TPS ends, Somali nationals still in the U.S. generally have four broad types of options, depending on their individual situation:

1. Keep or obtain another legal status

• If they already have another status (for example, a family‑ or employment‑based green card, student visa, or work visa), they can usually stay based on that.
• Some may qualify to apply for a green card through a close U.S. citizen or permanent‑resident relative or through an employer, if they meet all requirements.

2. Apply for asylum or related protection

• People who fear persecution in Somalia on protected grounds (race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group) can apply for asylum or, in some cases, withholding of removal or Convention Against Torture protection.
• USCIS policy treats having TPS as an “extraordinary circumstance” that can excuse missing the usual 1‑year asylum filing deadline, if they apply within a reasonable time after TPS ends.

3. Seek other temporary (nonimmigrant) visas

• A smaller number may be able to change to a nonimmigrant status (such as student or certain work visas) if they qualify and can meet the technical rules.

4. Defenses in removal proceedings

• If placed in immigration court, some may ask for relief such as cancellation of removal or other humanitarian forms of protection, depending on their history and length of residence.

These options are complex and fact‑specific; USCIS and legal‑aid organizations recommend getting individualized legal advice.

Sources:

• USCIS, TPS overview (other immigration options and asylum deadline "extraordinary circumstance" rule) https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status
• USCIS Somalia TPS page (note on seeking asylum after TPS) https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status/temporary-protected-status-designated-country-somalia
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center, "Post-TPS Options" (practice advisory on options after TPS ends) https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/after_tps_options_nxt_stps-20180607.pdf

CBP Home is a free mobile application from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It bundles several CBP services, including a feature called Intent to Depart for people who want to voluntarily leave the United States.

How it works for reporting departure:

• A user downloads CBP Home on an Apple or Android device and signs in using a Login.gov account.
• Using the Intent to Depart / Submit Intent to Depart option, they enter personal information and details about their planned departure (such as travel document, departure location, and date).
• CBP receives this electronic notice and uses it to process a documented, voluntary departure when the person departs through a commercial flight or other exit point.

The DHS Somalia TPS termination notice adds that, for Somali TPS holders without another status, using CBP Home to self‑deport includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 “exit bonus,” and the possibility of future legal immigration, though those incentives are specific to the DHS program described in that notice.

Sources:

• CBP, "CBP Home Mobile Application" (app description and Intent to Depart feature) https://www.cbp.gov/about/mobile-apps-directory/cbphome
• CBP news release, "CBP launches enhanced CBP Home mobile app with new Report Departure feature" https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-launches-enhanced-cbp-home-mobile-app-new-report-departure
• DHS, Somalia TPS termination press release (self‑deport program details) https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation

Available official and news data indicate that around 1,100 Somali nationals currently hold TPS and will be directly affected, with additional people who have pending TPS applications also impacted.

• A recent Federal Register notice, as described by Reuters, reported that about 1,100 Somalis in the U.S. had TPS and another roughly 1,400 had pending TPS applications at the time of termination.
• Earlier Federal Register notices (for prior years) listed much smaller numbers (about 447–454 current beneficiaries), suggesting the population grew over time through redesignations and new applications.

Because TPS numbers change as people gain or lose eligibility, these figures are approximate, but they give the best public estimate of how many Somalis are covered by TPS now and thus affected.

Sources:

• Reuters, "US to end deportation relief for Somalis in Temporary Protected Status program" (approx. 1,100 current TPS holders and 1,400 pending applications) https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-ends-temporary-protected-status-thousands-somalis-us-fox-news-reports-2026-01-13/
• Federal Register, 2021 Somalia TPS extension/redesignation (approx. 447 current Somalia TPS beneficiaries at that time) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-07-22/pdf/2021-15595.pdf

The 60‑day review is a legally required process where the Secretary of Homeland Security reassesses whether a country still qualifies for TPS before its current designation expires.

What it involves:

• Timing: At least 60 days before a country’s TPS designation is set to expire, the Secretary must review conditions in that country.
• Country‑conditions review: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) compiles information on armed conflict, natural disasters, and other conditions in the country to see if they still meet the statutory TPS criteria.
• Interagency consultation: The Secretary must consult with “appropriate U.S. government agencies.” DHS notices and Federal Register entries state this includes, at minimum, consultation with the U.S. Department of State, and the review may involve other agencies with relevant expertise.
• Decision and notice: Based on this review, the Secretary decides whether to extend or terminate TPS for that country. The decision, along with an explanation and any new dates, must be published in the Federal Register.

Sources:

• 8 U.S.C. § 1254a(b)(3)(A)–(C) (60‑day periodic review, extensions, and terminations) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1254a&num=0&edition=prelim
• USCIS news release, "DHS Terminating Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan" (describing 60‑day review and consultation with other agencies, including State) https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/dhs-terminating-temporary-protected-status-for-afghanistan
• DHS Somalia TPS termination release (quoting the 60‑day review requirement) https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation

There is no detailed public rule yet spelling out exactly how using the CBP Home app will affect future immigration eligibility, but several points are clear:

• DHS framing: In the Somalia TPS termination notice, DHS says that using CBP Home to self‑deport includes “the opportunity for potential future legal immigration,” implying that voluntarily reporting and departing is viewed more favorably than being arrested and formally removed.
• Immigration law basics: Even if someone self‑deports, prior unlawful presence in the U.S. can still trigger 3‑ or 10‑year bars on re‑entering, unless a waiver or exception applies. Avoiding a formal removal order can, however, make it easier to seek visas or waivers later than if they had been formally deported.
• Bottom line: Using the app and departing voluntarily is likely better for a person’s record than being removed by force, but it does not automatically guarantee they can return; they will still have to qualify under existing visa and green‑card laws and may still face inadmissibility bars.

Because this program is new and case‑specific, people considering it should get individualized legal advice.

Sources:

• DHS, Somalia TPS termination press release (claims about CBP Home self‑deport and “opportunity for potential future legal immigration”) https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/13/homeland-security-terminates-somalias-temporary-protected-status-designation
• CBP, "CBP Home Mobile Application" (general description of the app and Intent to Depart feature) https://www.cbp.gov/about/mobile-apps-directory/cbphome