There are two pieces of immigration policy news this week that will affect Muslim immigrant communities in Washington. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis is now ending on March 17, 2026, and there has been an unofficial announcement from the State Department that they will pause all visa processing from 75 countries.
TPS FOR SOMALIA
The Trump administration through DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued a notice terminating TPS for Somalia effective March 17, 2026.
This is part of a continued effort by this administration to limit legal pathways for immigrants.
What does this mean?
Anyone who has Temporary Protected Status from Somalia will no longer have valid status after March 17, 2026, and TPS will no longer be valid as a status. The administration will also not be extending work permission beyond March 17, 2026.
What can you do?
If you have TPS from Somalia, speak with an attorney to determine what options are available to you.
Pause on visas for 75 countries
The State Department announced on social media that they are pausing visas from 75 countries. This policy change is based on the suspicion that individuals from these countries are likely to use US welfare resources based on an immigration process which makes individuals inadmissible based on public charge.
An official policy has not been released so the details are not clear. We will keep you updated as details emerge.
What this means:
As of now, the Department of State has indicated that they will pause granting immigrant visas, from the identified countries. It is likely this policy will be challenged and likely paused.
The reported list of countries is:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.