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Allison Burroughs Lifts Stay on Somalia's Temporary Protected Status, Allowing the Administration to Proceed with Terminations

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs lifted a stay on Friday, allowing the administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals. The ruling follows a June Supreme Court decision that limited judicial review of the administration's authority to terminate TPS designations. While the plaintiffs, including the group African Communities Together, argued that the country still faces a humanitarian crisis and that the administration's decision was motivated by racial discrimination, Burroughs noted that the government had not demonstrated an undue burden for maintaining the status. The administration announced the plan to end Somali TPS in January, with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stating that conditions in Somalia have improved sufficiently to meet the law's requirements. The ruling affects thousands of Somali nationals, including approximately 2,471 who currently hold the status. Those without other legal pathways to remain in the U.S., such as asylum or permanent residency, now face potential deportation. The administration is also incentivizing these immigrants to self-deport while revoking employment authorization for some as the legal process continues.

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