President Donald Trump promised “RECKONING & RETRIBUTION” in Minnesota, a day after state officials sued to halt the deployment of federal immigration agents.
In a Jan. 13 social media post, Trump blasted Democratic leaders in Minnesota and praised Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as “patriots,” saying they are trying to remove dangerous criminals from the state.
“Minnesota Democrats love the unrest that anarchists and professional agitators are causing…” Trump wrote, arguing the turmoil is drawing attention away from an alleged fraud scandal under investigation in the state. “FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING.”
Minnesota and Illinois sued Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Jan. 12, seeking to limit what they describe as a surge in immigration enforcement activity. The lawsuits came less than a week after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. Minnesota officials want to stop Homeland Security agents from deploying to the state, while Illinois is suing to end tactics used in the Chicago area that state leaders say are controversial.
“Every place we go, crime comes down,” Trump said on Jan. 13. Pointing to Chicago, he added: “In Chicago, despite a weak and incompetent Governor and Mayor fighting us all the way, a big improvement was made.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison criticized the deployments as a “federal invasion.”
TPS for Somali immigrants set to end March 17
Trump’s comments also came as his administration said it will not continue authorizing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants in the United States. The program was set to expire on March 17.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on the social media platform X that Somalis with TPS “will be required to leave the country by March 17.”
Trump also said he wants to pursue revoking citizenship for certain naturalized immigrants, including those from Somalia, who are “convicted of defrauding” Americans — though denaturalization decisions ultimately rest with federal courts, not the executive branch.
“We’re also going to revoke the citizenship of any naturalized immigrant from Somalia or anywhere else who is convicted of defrauding our citizens. We’re gonna ‘em the hell out of here fast,” Trump said during a Jan. 13 speech at the Detroit Economic Club in Michigan.
“If you come to America to rob Americans, we’re throwing you in jail and we’re sending you back to the place where you came,” he added.
Stripping citizenship from naturalized U.S. citizens is uncommon and requires meeting a high legal standard. Denaturalization can be pursued through civil proceedings or tied to a criminal conviction, with courts making the final call.
General grounds for denaturalization include the “illegal procurement of naturalization” or the “concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation,” according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The federal government can also cite an individual’s current or past affiliation with a totalitarian political party or a terrorist organization.
What ending TPS means — and why Somalia has long qualified
Temporary Protected Status shields eligible immigrants from deportation when conditions in their home countries temporarily prevent safe return, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters. TPS recipients may also receive work authorization. Somalia has been designated for TPS since 1991, with renewals repeatedly granted due to ongoing armed conflict.
The administration’s decision not to renew TPS would effectively end those protections for Somali migrants currently living in the United States.
Trump previously said he was terminating TPS for Somalis living in Minnesota in November, calling the move “effective immediately,” and alleging that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State.”
In recent weeks, amid investigations into alleged fraud activity in Minnesota — including investigations involving U.S. citizens of Somali descent — Trump has posted messages targeting Somalis in the state. Local leaders have condemned the rhetoric as racist. Minnesota has been a major destination for Somali Americans for decades, with well-established business and cultural districts. United States Census Bureau data from 2023 shows 63,192 people in Minnesota reported Somali ancestry.
TPS was last extended for qualified Somali migrants for an 18-month period beginning in September 2024 and is set to expire March 17. TPS beneficiaries must re-register when an extension is granted. As of March 31, 2025, 705 Somali nationals had approved TPS in the United States, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to the Congressional Research Service. In its most recent reauthorization, the Department of Homeland Security said it expected about 4,300 Somalis to be newly eligible for TPS.
To qualify for TPS, applicants generally must have been continuously present in the United States since a specified date and must not have felony convictions or two or more misdemeanor convictions in the United States. Other disqualifying factors can include “engaging in or inciting terrorist activity,” according to USCIS.
“Temporary means temporary,” Noem told Fox News. “Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status.”
“Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests,” she said, according to Fox.
