Federal Judge Clears Path for End of Protected Status for Somali Nationals

A federal judge in Boston has lifted an injunction that had temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending legal protections for thousands of Somali nationals living in the United States, marking a significant legal victory for the White House in its efforts to reshape the nation's immigration system.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled Friday that she must allow the termination of Somalia's Temporary Protected Status designation to proceed, concluding that a recent Supreme Court decision severely limits the ability of lower courts to second-guess such administrative actions. The ruling effectively ends a legal shield that had protected approximately 2,500 Somali nationals from deportation.

The case centers on a June Supreme Court decision in Mullin v. Doe, which determined that federal courts cannot review most administrative decisions to end TPS designations. Burroughs, an Obama appointee, acknowledged in her ruling that the plaintiffs had presented compelling arguments about the harm they would face.

"Plaintiffs have made a convincing showing that they will suffer irreparable harm if the injunction is withheld," Burroughs wrote. She also noted that the balance of hardships and public interest appeared to favor the immigrants, particularly given that the government had not demonstrated maintaining TPS during litigation would create an undue burden.

Despite those findings, Burroughs said her hands were tied by the Supreme Court's precedent. "I am bound to view things through the Mullin prism," she explained.

The administration announced in January that it intended to terminate Somalia's TPS designation, with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arguing that conditions in the East African nation had improved sufficiently to warrant ending the humanitarian protections. TPS grants temporary legal status to nationals from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions that make return unsafe.

Four Somali nationals and several advocacy organizations, including African Communities Together, filed suit challenging the termination. Their attorneys argued the decision was rooted in discrimination against non-white immigrants, pointing to statements made by President Trump describing Somalis in derogatory terms.

The plaintiffs amended their complaint after the Supreme Court's June ruling, raising new constitutional claims and seeking emergency relief. Burroughs initially granted an administrative stay earlier this month, but Friday's decision reverses that temporary protection.

According to figures from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2,471 Somali nationals currently hold TPS status, while another 1,383 have applications pending. Those individuals now face potential deportation if they lack other legal grounds to remain in the country.

The administration has moved to end TPS designations for nationals of multiple countries, with the Supreme Court's June ruling removing much of the legal obstacles that had blocked such actions in federal courts.