Somalis granted Temporary Protected Status extension, call it a 'relief'

Hukun Abdullahi is the executive director and a founder of the Afro American Development Association that helps refugees and immigrants integrate better into the community.David Samson / The Forum — Hukun Abdullahi is the executive director and a founder of the Afro American Development Association which helps refugees and immigrants integrate better into the community.David Samson / The Forum

By Kim Hyatt

July 19, 2018 at 5:58 PM

FARGO - For many Somalis living in Minnesota and North Dakota, an announcement made by the President Donald Trump administration Thursday, July 19, was a relief.

"It's great news," said Hukun Abdullahi, Executive Director of the Afro American Development Association in Moorhead.

Abdullahi said he was "hopeful" after first hearing about the 18-month extension of the Temporary Protected Status for Somalia.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., released a statement on the TPS extension saying there are approximately 150,000 Somalis - both refugees and non-refugees - living in the U.S. Nearly a third of them live in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S.

"Conditions in Somalia remain dire, and the Administration recognized this and extended Temporary Protected Status for Somalia," Klobuchar said. "I've always believed that our country's strength comes from the diversity of our people. Somali people in Minnesota and across the U.S. deserve to continue living, working, and succeeding here, as they have for decades."

Abdullahi said with the current administration, "you don't know what they will come out with" 18 months from now. Despite the potential uncertainty, he said he is optimistic.

"This is an uplifting thing," he said.

"I know a lot Somalis who are on TPS," Abdullah said. "I'm excited to explain to them it doesn't affect you guys. A lot needs to be done, but now this is a relief."

Those on TPS are granted special immigration status to stay in the U.S. from countries experiencing war, disease or a natural disaster. TPS protects those individuals from being detained and makes them eligible for employment here.

With the program's extension, those Somalis with special status can stay in the U.S. through March 2020.

By Kim Hyatt

Kim Hyatt is a reporter for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead covering community issues and other topics. She previously worked for the Owatonna People's Press where she received the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Dave Pyle New Journalist Award in 2016. Later that year, she joined The Forum as a night reporter and is now part of the investigative team. She's a 2014 graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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Somalis granted Temporary Protected Status extension, call it a 'relief'

FARGO -- For many Somalis living in Minnesota and North Dakota, an announcement made by the President Donald Trump administration Thursday, July 19, was a relief.