Minnesota's Somali community is urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to continue "Temporary Protected Status" for Somali nationals, who could otherwise be deported to a country struggling with civil unrest, food shortages and unemployment.
State Representative Ilhan Omar says the environment can be unsafe there, and "elements like Al Shabaab and the presence of Al-qaeda really makes it hard for someone to re-integrate themselves into the community." Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is also calling for an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Somalia. She says that status has been extended 22 times since President George H-W Bush first approved it in response to Somalia's civil war in 1991. A decision by the federal government is expected Thursday.