MARYLAND/DELAWARE -Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general, including Delaware, in filing an amicus brief opposing the Department of Homeland Security’s attempt to end Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants.
The TPS program, created by Congress, allows immigrants from countries deemed unsafe to remain in the United States and work legally. The brief, filed in African Communities Together v. Noem, argues that ending TPS for Somali immigrants would cause humanitarian and economic harm and urges the court to delay the move.
“Somali TPS recipients in Maryland are valued members of our communities who have built their lives here, many of whom work in essential jobs such as healthcare.” said Attorney General Brown. “We won’t stand by while this Administration tears families apart and sends our neighbors back to one of the most dangerous countries on earth.”
Republican lawmakers and some policy groups have pushed back on TPS extensions, arguing the program has been used beyond its original intent. Some critics point to data from states like Minnesota, which has seen several federal investigations into fraud involving government run programs, most of the defendants have roots to Somali.
Thursday's announcement occurs in the same week that similar protections for Haitians living in the U.S. were approved by the House of Representatives.
Somalia has been designated for TPS since 1991 due to ongoing civil war and humanitarian crises. Conditions in the country remain dangerous, with the U.S. State Department issuing a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory citing crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.
