Washington — A US federal judge has issued an emergency order blocking a move by former president Donald Trump's administration to terminate temporary deportation protections for Somali nationals living in the United States.
Judge Allison Buraf ruled that the administration cannot proceed, for now, with its plan to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis, a programme that allows nationals of countries affected by conflict or disaster to live and work legally in the US.
The decision follows a legal challenge filed against the administration's plan to end TPS protections this month. More than 1,100 Somali nationals were set to lose their status and face possible deportation.
"Individuals covered under this status may continue their work and daily lives while the case is ongoing," the judge said in her ruling.
In her decision, Buraf cited ongoing insecurity and conflict in Somalia, concluding that conditions remain unsafe for return.
The Trump administration had argued that conditions in Somalia had improved sufficiently to justify ending the protections. However, human rights groups opposed the move, saying it disproportionately targeted immigrant communities, including Somalis concentrated in states such as Minnesota.
The court order is temporary, pending a final ruling that will determine the future of TPS protections for Somali nationals in the United States.
