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| Hundreds of Somalis fear deportation as they await US decision | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nearly 500 Somalis in the US who escaped terrorism and drought could be forced back to the war-torn country pending a Trump administration decision due on Thursday. | Nearly 500 Somalis in the US who escaped terrorism and drought could be forced back to the war-torn country pending a Trump administration decision due on Thursday. |
| The US government has said Somalia is under severe threat from the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist movement, al-Shabaab, and a drought that brought the country to the brink of famine last year. | The US government has said Somalia is under severe threat from the al-Qaida-affiliated extremist movement, al-Shabaab, and a drought that brought the country to the brink of famine last year. |
| Advocates, however, are concerned the administration’s anti-immigrant policies indicate it will cancel the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Somalis. | Advocates, however, are concerned the administration’s anti-immigrant policies indicate it will cancel the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Somalis. |
| “I’m scared of going back to Somalia and being killed by al-Shabaab,” Yasir, a TPS holder who fled Somalia after being kidnapped and tortured by al-Shabaab, told the Guardian. | “I’m scared of going back to Somalia and being killed by al-Shabaab,” Yasir, a TPS holder who fled Somalia after being kidnapped and tortured by al-Shabaab, told the Guardian. |
| The 29-year-old said in 2008, he was walking in Mogadishu when two men came up behind him and hit him with something that made him pass out. He woke up in a room with the men, who he said identified themselves as members of al-Shabaab and tried to coerce him into joining the militant group. | The 29-year-old said in 2008, he was walking in Mogadishu when two men came up behind him and hit him with something that made him pass out. He woke up in a room with the men, who he said identified themselves as members of al-Shabaab and tried to coerce him into joining the militant group. |
| “They told me if I don’t work with them, they will kill me and they know where I live,” Yasir said. | “They told me if I don’t work with them, they will kill me and they know where I live,” Yasir said. |
| From then on, he went into hiding while he tried to find a way out, occasionally dressing in women’s clothes and covering his face to disguise himself. | From then on, he went into hiding while he tried to find a way out, occasionally dressing in women’s clothes and covering his face to disguise himself. |
| An aunt eventually gave him money so he could pay someone to get him out. He doesn’t know how long it took him to get to the US, which he did by traveling through several countries before crossing the border in 2009. | An aunt eventually gave him money so he could pay someone to get him out. He doesn’t know how long it took him to get to the US, which he did by traveling through several countries before crossing the border in 2009. |
| “I was happy to be alive,” Yasir said. “I was happy to be somewhere where justice means something.” | “I was happy to be alive,” Yasir said. “I was happy to be somewhere where justice means something.” |
| He lived in the US undocumented until 2012, when Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was redesignated for Somalia. TPS protects foreign nationals already in the US when civil unrest, violence or natural disasters erupt in their home country. | He lived in the US undocumented until 2012, when Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was redesignated for Somalia. TPS protects foreign nationals already in the US when civil unrest, violence or natural disasters erupt in their home country. |
| TPS can either be redesignated, which allows a new group of people to apply for it; renewed, with allows people who already have it to stay longer; or terminated, which typically gives people more than a year to find a way to stay in the US or leave. | TPS can either be redesignated, which allows a new group of people to apply for it; renewed, with allows people who already have it to stay longer; or terminated, which typically gives people more than a year to find a way to stay in the US or leave. |
| With TPS, instead of living in the shadows, Yasir was able to work, get a driver’s license and open a bank account. | With TPS, instead of living in the shadows, Yasir was able to work, get a driver’s license and open a bank account. |
| He is now married to a US citizen and has a seven-year-old American son. He said he doesn’t know what has happened to his family and friends in Somalia, and whether they are dead or alive. | He is now married to a US citizen and has a seven-year-old American son. He said he doesn’t know what has happened to his family and friends in Somalia, and whether they are dead or alive. |
| “I’ve seen countries losing TPS and I’ve been scared I’m going to lose mine and be deported back home,” Yasir said. | “I’ve seen countries losing TPS and I’ve been scared I’m going to lose mine and be deported back home,” Yasir said. |
| The Trump administration has unleashed a torrent of measures to slow immigration and remove people from the US, including terminating TPS for six of the 10 countries covered by it when he took office. | The Trump administration has unleashed a torrent of measures to slow immigration and remove people from the US, including terminating TPS for six of the 10 countries covered by it when he took office. |
| This has left more than 428,250 people from countries including Nicaragua, El Salvador and Sudan forced to find a way to stay in the US or return to their home country as early as December of this year. | This has left more than 428,250 people from countries including Nicaragua, El Salvador and Sudan forced to find a way to stay in the US or return to their home country as early as December of this year. |
| TPS has been extended for more than 8,100 people from South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, but advocates are concerned the termination trend could continue for Somalia, which was targeted in Trump’s travel bans. | TPS has been extended for more than 8,100 people from South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, but advocates are concerned the termination trend could continue for Somalia, which was targeted in Trump’s travel bans. |
| The president also insulted the largest Somali American community, in Minnesota, two days before being elected president. “Everybody’s reading about the disaster taking place in Minnesota,” Trump said at a rally in November 2017. | The president also insulted the largest Somali American community, in Minnesota, two days before being elected president. “Everybody’s reading about the disaster taking place in Minnesota,” Trump said at a rally in November 2017. |
| Despite the escalating conflict with al-Shabaab, and the terrorist group’s targeting of people who return to the country, the US has dramatically increased deportations there since late 2016. In fiscal year 2016, 198 Somalis were deported, rising to 521 in 2017. | Despite the escalating conflict with al-Shabaab, and the terrorist group’s targeting of people who return to the country, the US has dramatically increased deportations there since late 2016. In fiscal year 2016, 198 Somalis were deported, rising to 521 in 2017. |
| And in December, more than 90 Somali men and women were held shackled on an airplane for nearly 48 hours during a failed attempt to deport them from the US that went as far Dakar, Senegal, before returning to the US. | And in December, more than 90 Somali men and women were held shackled on an airplane for nearly 48 hours during a failed attempt to deport them from the US that went as far Dakar, Senegal, before returning to the US. |
| There have been bipartisan efforts in the House and Senate to encourage the homeland security department to redesignate and extend TPS for Somalia. Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, sent a letter on Monday to the homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, and secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, urging them to extend the protection. The senators wrote: “Conditions in Somalia remain dire, and armed conflict continues to be a threat to the Somali people.” | There have been bipartisan efforts in the House and Senate to encourage the homeland security department to redesignate and extend TPS for Somalia. Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, sent a letter on Monday to the homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, and secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, urging them to extend the protection. The senators wrote: “Conditions in Somalia remain dire, and armed conflict continues to be a threat to the Somali people.” |
| Yasir’s name has been changed to protect his identity | Yasir’s name has been changed to protect his identity |
| US immigration | US immigration |
| Somalia | Somalia |
| Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Al-Shabaab | Al-Shabaab |
| news | news |
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