- The DHS terminated Somalia’s TPS designation on August 14, 2026, following a Supreme Court ruling.
- Approximately 705 Somali nationals must seek alternative status to avoid deportation and maintain work authorization.
- Employers must reverify employment eligibility as A12 and C19 work cards are no longer valid.
The Department of Homeland Security ended Somalia’s Temporary Protected Status designation at 11:59 p.m. on August 14, 2026, closing a court-ordered extension that had protected roughly 705 Somali nationals as of March 2025.
The designation originally faced termination on March 17, 2026. A series of short-term extensions kept it in place while litigation continued, until the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 25 decision in Mullin v. Doe allowed the termination to proceed.
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Former beneficiaries should preserve the documents from that final period. Their expired work cards no longer authorize employment, but they remain records of past authorization.
USCIS said Forms I-766 with category A12 or C19 are no longer valid after Aug. 14. Employers must now confirm that workers have current employment authorization from another source.
"The Somalia TPS designation is terminated, effective Aug. 14, 2026. Forms I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EADs) with category A12 or C19 issued to TPS Somalia beneficiaries are no longer valid. Employers must reverify TPS Somalia beneficiaries who presented these EADs and cannot continue employing a person who does not provide proof of current employment authorization."
USCIS published that statement in its TPS update on August 14. The reverification requirement took effect for employers on August 15, 2026.
Four documents show what Somali beneficiaries held before the cutoff
The records serve different purposes. The EAD shows prior work authorization, while the notices, filing and court-related alert document the person’s status history.
| Document | Relevant dates or category | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
Employment Authorization Document, or Form I-766 | Category A12 or C19; extensions reached Aug. 10, Aug. 12 and Aug. 14, 2026 | The holder previously had employment authorization through Somali TPS. The card expired on Aug. 14 and cannot support employment now. |
Form I-797, Notice of Action | Most recent re-registration period: Sept. 18, 2024, to March 17, 2026 | USCIS approval of the latest re-registration period. |
Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status | Timely filed re-registration application | The filing connected to the beneficiary’s re-registration record. |
| “Update on Termination of TPS for Somalia” | USCIS alert dated Aug. 12, 2026 | The court-related extension information that beneficiaries could show employers and government agencies. |
USCIS extended A12 and C19 cards several times through alerts. The final extension reached Aug. 14, 2026, the date the designation ended.
Beneficiaries were advised to download and print the Aug. 12 update. That alert helped explain why documents with earlier expiration dates remained usable during the litigation period. It does not revive the cards after termination.
The USCIS Somalia TPS page provides country-specific information, while the agency’s newsroom carries its alerts.
A January notice supplied DHS’s stated basis for ending the designation
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made the termination determination in a January 14, 2026, Federal Register notice identified as 91 Fed. Reg. 1547. The notice said Somalia “no longer continues to meet the conditions for designation.”
The document cited improved country conditions and national security considerations. Those were the stated reasons in the notice.
The Federal Register notice records the determination. The protected population stood at approximately 705 Somali nationals in March 2025.
Former beneficiaries may pursue asylum or family-based petitions
The termination removes protection from removal based on TPS. Some former beneficiaries may qualify for asylum or family-based petitions, depending on their circumstances.
USCIS policy says that maintaining TPS “stops the clock” on the one-year asylum filing deadline. A former holder who has not filed may generally have a “reasonable period” after status expires to submit an asylum application under 8 CFR 208.4(a)(5)(iv).
The government’s verification system will also reflect the change. The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, known as SAVE, will verify that Somalia TPS benefits have terminated.
Work authorization requires separate proof. A former A12 or C19 card cannot establish current employment eligibility after Aug. 14, even when it helps document the holder’s earlier status.
USCIS warned beneficiaries about notario fraud and immigration scams during the transition. Only attorneys or accredited representatives should provide legal advice on possible next steps.
