Trump Targets Somalis After Decades of US Intervention in Somalia
Donald Trump, in 2018, declared his intention to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, alleging that conditions in Somalia had improved sufficiently for their return. This move, reported by Newsweek, conveniently sidesteps the decades of U.S. intervention that actively destabilized the nation. From Cold War proxy battles arming factions, to post-9/11 'War on Terror' drone
strikes and military aid that fueled rather than quelled conflict, the very 'instability' cited for TPS designation has a distinct American signature. It appears the 'stability' required for repatriation isn't about Somalia's safety, but about closing America's borders. One might wonder if the U.S. should first repatriate its own, rather than those whose homes it helped dismantle. The logic is
dizzying: create chaos, then punish the refugees.