The United States announced on Tuesday that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, requiring affected individuals to leave the country by mid-March, in a move that intensifies the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The decision places renewed focus on Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the US, where immigration enforcement operations have escalated in recent weeks. Those operations have reportedly led to around 2,000 arrests and sparked protests after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a local woman last week. Minnesota officials are seeking a temporary restraining order that would halt the raids if approved by a federal judge.

The Department of Homeland Security said TPS for Somalis is being ended, setting a March 17 deadline for those losing legal status. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem argued that conditions in Somalia have improved enough to no longer justify the protection, despite ongoing fighting between government forces and al-Shabaab militants.

TPS allows people from crisis-hit countries to stay and work legally in the US. Its removal will affect about 1,100 Somalis currently covered by the program, though legal challenges are expected.

The move comes amid sharp rhetoric from President Donald Trump and his administration, which have accused members of Minnesota’s Somali community of large-scale public benefits fraud. Trump has repeatedly criticized Somali immigrants and said his administration is “putting Americans first.”