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MN leaders respond to Trump order on Somalis
Minnesota leaders, including Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison, responded to President Trump's vow to end temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Rep. Ilhan Omar said President Trump doesn't understand the laws governing Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, which the president announced he was terminating last week.
Rep. Omar, other leaders respond
The backstory:
President Trump said last Friday on his social media platform Truth Social that he was immediately terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota. In the post, the president blamed the Somali community for fraud in Minnesota, referring to government funds stolen in the Feeding Our Future scheme and other recent fraud in the state.
Temporary Protected Status allows residents from countries with ongoing conflicts or other disasters to remain in the U.S. as the conflict is ongoing. While there are more than 37,000 Somali-born people living in Minnesota, only about 500 have Temporary Protected Status.
What they're saying:
Rep. Omar joined other Minnesota leaders on Monday for a news conference responding to President Trump's declaration that he was terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota.
"It is unfortunate that we are led by a president who does not understand the laws of this land," said Rep. Omar. "When the president tweets as if he has the authority to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, even little kids in eighth grade know that that is not an authority that the president has and can wield. Temporary status protection for Somalis expires in March of 2026, and anyone with that status has 60 days after for it to have any impact on them. And so, if you are confused, if you feel threatened, know that the law is on your side and our demented president can't do anything about it."
"The other unlawful thing that our lawless president is claiming to do so is to terminate that status for only one state, which he has no authority to do," Omar added.
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Kristi Noem hands out bonuses to MSP Airport TSA workers
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sunday to personally thank TSA agents who worked without pay during the government shutdown.
Sec. Noem talks Temporary Protected Status decision
The other side:
While Rep. Omar is correct that the president doesn't technically himself make the decision on Temporary Protected Status, his administration does. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will make the final call on the status. Speaking in Minneapolis on Sunday, Noem confirmed her office would follow the law in reviewing the status, and it would apply to Somalis across the country – not just Minnesota.
"TPS was a program that was always meant to be temporary," explained Sec. Noem. "It was put in place, I believe, for Somalia over 30 years ago, and will need to be evaluated to make sure it comes and is always implemented in the process for which it was intended. So that's something that will go forward, and I know the president wants to bring integrity to our programs and make sure they are applied appropriately to the individuals and countries that they are supposed to benefit."
Sec. Noem also said the Department of Homeland Security was reviewing the status and hadn't yet made an official decision on whether to terminate the status.