Federal Judge in Massachusetts Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration’s March 17 Termination of Somalia TPS Over DOJ’s Failure to Appear
U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs on March 13 issued an indefinite stay blocking the Trump administration’s planned March 17 termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, noting the Department of Justice had not appeared in the case — no brief filed, no lawyer assigned, and no certified administrative record — and preserving work authorization for roughly 1,000 Somalis while the government prepares filings. The order gives the federal government time to file the record and brief the merits amid reporting of systemic overload in DOJ’s immigration litigation shop, and Fox News has characterized the administration’s move as being sold to the public in part by linking the termination to alleged $9 billion fraud schemes.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs (Massachusetts) issued a four-page order on March 13, 2026, staying the Trump administration’s planned March 17 termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia; the stay is indefinite to give the federal government time to prepare, file the administrative record, and brief the court on the merits.
- The judge noted the government had not appeared in the case: no brief filed, no lawyer assigned, and no certified administrative record produced.
- Because of the stay, roughly 1,000-plus Somali TPS recipients retain their Temporary Protected Status and work authorization past March 17 while litigation proceeds.
- The New York Times highlighted systemic overload inside the Justice Department’s immigration litigation shop as context for DOJ’s failure to appear, citing a prior case in which a federal prosecutor said she would welcome a contempt citation just to get sleep.
- Fox News reported the administration has framed the move as an effort to 'axe protected status for Somalis' and has tied the planned TPS termination rhetorically to alleged $9 billion fraud schemes; Fox also noted that the $9 billion figure and the explicit fraud framing were not spelled out in the original summary, suggesting the administration is marketing the policy to its political base.
📊 Relevant Data
Somalia was originally designated for Temporary Protected Status in 1991 due to the ongoing civil war and armed conflict that prevented safe return of nationals.
Termination of the Designation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status — Federal Register
As of 2026, the U.S. Department of State advises against all travel to Somalia due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy, indicating it is not safe for return.
Somalia Travel Advisory — U.S. Department of State
Approximately 1,082 Somalis currently hold Temporary Protected Status in the United States as of early 2026, with an additional 1,383 having pending applications.
Lawsuit challenges Trump administration's ending of protections for Somalis — Reuters
The poverty rate among Somali Minnesotans is 22.8 percent as of 2024, compared to the statewide poverty rate of approximately 9 percent in Minnesota, where a significant portion of the U.S. Somali population resides (about 108,000 out of an estimated 259,000 Somali-descended residents nationwide).
Latest Data on Somali Minnesotans 2024 — Empowering Strategies
The unemployment rate among Somali Minnesotans is 7.8 percent as of 2024, with a labor force participation rate of 70 percent, amid a national Somali American population of around 259,000.
FAQ: Economic Contributions of Somalis in Minnesota — Empowering Strategies
Somali migration to the United States was primarily driven by the civil war that began in 1991, leading to the resettlement of over 46,800 Somali refugees between FY 2012 and FY 2022 through U.S. refugee programs.
Refugees and Asylees in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in Massachusetts issued a four-page order on March 13, 2026, staying the Trump administration’s move to end Somalia TPS scheduled for March 17.
- The judge noted the government had not appeared in the case: no brief filed, no lawyer assigned, and no certified administrative record produced.
- The stay is indefinite for now and is explicitly meant to give the federal government time to prepare, file the record, and brief the court on the merits.
- The order means the roughly 1,000-plus Somalis retain Temporary Protected Status and work authorization past March 17 while litigation proceeds.
- The article highlights systemic overload inside DOJ’s immigration litigation shop, including a prior case where a federal prosecutor told a judge she would welcome a contempt citation just to get sleep.
- Fox characterizes the Trump administration as 'set to axe protected status for Somalis' and ties the planned TPS termination to alleged $9 billion fraud schemes, which the administration is using rhetorically to justify the move.
- The $9B figure and explicit fraud-frame were not spelled out in the original summary, which focused more on alleged racial animus and legal arguments; this shows how the administration is selling the policy to its base.