WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is ending temporary protected status (TPS) for Somali immigrants amid fraud allegations in Minnesota, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday on X.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed the information on X, saying that "Temporary means Temporary," adding that "Somali nationals with TPS are now required to leave the United States by March 17, 2026."

The United States provides TPS to immigrants from certain countries that are impacted by unsafe conditions, such as ongoing armed conflict and natural disasters. People granted TPS can stay legally in the United States and apply for work authorization.

Previously, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had ended TPS for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Venezuela, Haiti, South Sudan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Nepal and Honduras, and multiple cases are facing lawsuits or court challenges.

The Trump administration has targeted Somalis in Minnesota in recent weeks, after renewed focus on a fraud scandal involving several defendants of Somali descent.

The Department of Justice has charged 98 defendants in Minnesota fraud-related cases, 85 of whom are of Somali descent, according to a recent fact sheet from the White House. ■