KPBS Public Media
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Contributors: Matthew Bowler / Video Journalist
Published January 14, 2026 at 6:10 PM PST
Somalis in the United States had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since 1991.
The Trump administration’s revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the country affects about 700 people. So, that breaks down to a relatively small number of people here in San Diego.
Nevertheless, it’s sending shock waves through the local Somali community, estimated to be the second-largest in the country outside of Minnesota.
Most people from Somalia in San Diego live in City Heights, and that’s where PANA, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, is located.
PANA Director of Organizing Rahmo Abdi said the administration’s action is racist, unfair and hurtful to all Somalis here and across the country.
“Most of these people came from war zones, escaping (persecution) and came to (the) United States for safe release. For them, getting their status revoked and going back to Somalia is going to be dangerous for them,” Abdi said.
Executive Director of CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, San Diego chapter Tahzeen Nizam said the TPS revocation for Somalis is just the latest move by the administration that is based in bigotry and politics, as opposed to the law. She said the Minnesota chapter of CAIR has filed a lawsuit against the action.
“We are just appalled by this enforcement because this is about enforcing, taking away legal measures for anybody to immigrate legally. We talk about, ‘Hey, why don't a lot of our friends say, why don't they come in legally?’ Well, they're trying to do a legal measure of immigrating, and you're taking that away from it,” said Nizam.
After the Trump administration’s action, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said conditions in Somalia have improved to the point where it’s not as dangerous as it once was.
But the State Department still has the country listed as Level 4 “do not travel,” which is the highest level of travel warning. The administration has already revoked TPS status for Venezuelans and Haitians. The Somali revocation takes effect on March 17. But lawsuits are expected, which would delay its implementation.
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John Carroll is a general assignment reporter and anchor at KPBS. He loves coming up with story ideas that are not being covered elsewhere, but he’s also ready to cover the breaking news of the day.
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