Somalis Being Deported in 2026: What's Really Going On?

First, some quick background for context. The U.S. has the largest Somali community outside of Somalia, mostly in Minnesota – we're talking around 80,000 to 100,000 people in the Twin Cities area. Many came as refugees starting in the 1990s after the civil war in Somalia blew everything up. A lot have become U.S. citizens – like over 80% according to recent census data. Others have legal status, and a small number – only about 700 nationwide – were under something called Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. That's a program that lets people from dangerous countries stay and work here temporarily because it's not safe to go back.