DHS secretary says TPS will be reviewed under statute, calls program "temporary"
Summary
At a public event at MSP, Secretary Kristi Noem said Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was designed as a temporary measure, referenced its origin for countries such as Somalia, and said the program will be evaluated according to statutory timelines and processes.
During a question period at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that was "always meant to be temporary," and that it "was never meant to be an asylum program."
Noem referenced the program's origins, saying TPS was created in response to crises such as those affecting Somalia, and said the administration plans to follow "the process that's in law" to evaluate TPS designations.
She acknowledged that TPS decisions are governed by statute and that each country's designation is subject to statutory timelines and review. Noem did not announce a formal change to TPS designations or a specific timeline for policy action during the event; she described an intent to review existing TPS designations under the legal process.
The remarks were part of a broader event focused on TSA workforce recognition and procurement announcements and did not include a published policy memo or statutory citation in the transcript.
