SILVER SPRING, Maryland — On Jan. 12, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, announced the extension and redesignation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, from March 18, 2023, through Sept. 17, 2024. This decision will allow Somalis to renew their existing TPS status and will make Somalis who entered the U.S. before Jan. 11, 2023, eligible to apply for TPS.

“Somalia continues to face tragic violence and humanitarian crisis,” said Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC. “Extending and redesignating TPS for Somalia is a sound and just decision that will allow approximately 430 people to extend their status and around 2,200 to apply for TPS. These Somalis will be able to work and live free from fear of deportation to a homeland that remains unsafe.”

CLINIC calls for a similar decision to be made regarding TPS redesignation for Mauritania.

Together with our partners, CLINIC will advocate and engage with DHS for speedy publication in the Federal Register Notice to prevent those seeking TPS from experiencing roadblocks to obtaining drivers’ licenses and other forms of identification. We will provide further guidance once the official Federal Register Notice for this decision is published.