A federal judge has cleared the courtroom barrier blocking the end of Somalia’s 35-year Temporary Protected Status, with U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs granting the federal government’s motions to lift the administrative stay on Friday, August 16, 2026. The Somalia TPS designation is terminated, effective August 14, 2026.
What changed
After reviewing country conditions and consulting with appropriate U.S. government agencies, former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem determined that Somalia no longer met the conditions for its Temporary Protected Status designation. This termination was published in the Federal Register on January 14, 2026.
On March 13, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued an order staying the TPS Somalia termination in the case African Communities Together et al. v. Noem et al., No. 26-cv-11201 (D. Mass.) That stay held for five months.
Now that stay is lifted. The judge denied the challengers’ emergency request to postpone the termination and impose a preliminary injunction. Although the district court recognized the “undisguised racial animus” inherent in the termination of Somalia’s TPS, the importance of TPS benefits, and the “convincing showing” of irreparable harm, the court felt bound by the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2026 decision in Mullin v. Doe that greenlit the Trump administration’s agenda to terminate TPS for Haiti and Syria.
Forms I-766, Employment Authorization Document, (EADs) with category A12 or C19 issued to TPS Somalia beneficiaries are no longer valid.
Why it matters
You now face immediate exposure for any Somalia TPS clients who do not have an alternative lawful status. The termination exposes beneficiaries to detention, deportation, loss of work authorization, and separation from family members. The decision allows the Trump administration to move forward with ending TPS for Somalia, potentially exposing affected migrants who lack another lawful basis to remain in the U.S. to deportation.
The appellate path is now narrower. The Supreme Court’s Mullin precedent constrains judicial review of TPS terminations at the district and appellate levels. The court here explicitly acknowledged the weakening of legal grounds but was bound by the higher court’s ruling.
This was a TPS designation that had remained in effect for 35 years. Termination affects thousands of Somali nationals who have built lives, families, and businesses in the U.S. with lawful authorization—but now no longer have a path to remain without securing an alternative status (e.g., asylum, special immigrant status, family-based petition).
Way forward
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Audit your Somalia TPS client roster immediately. Identify who has no alternative status pathway. Work on contingency plans: family-based petitions (if eligible), asylum (if still within one-year bar), U visa (if crime victim), T visa (if trafficking victim), Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS, if applicable), or other relief.
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Review Form I-9 and E-Verify entries for affected employees. EADs are now invalid. Advise employers to update records and I-9 documentation; continued work will trigger unlawful employment findings.
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Consult the USCIS TPS Somalia page regularly for processing updates and any additional guidance on transition periods or administrative procedures.
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Do not rely on further stay litigation in district court. The Mullin precedent binds lower courts. Focus on appellate arguments that distinguish the Mullin holding (if any) or prepare clients for removal proceedings.
Disclaimer
Fola Editorial is a software company, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice. Immigration policy can change without notice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney to assess your individual situation and explore available relief options. Verify all information against the primary source linked above and the official USCIS guidance.