>> CATHY: TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS, KNOWN AS TPS, WAS SET TO END FOR SOMALI IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S.

EARLIER THIS WEEK.

BUT A FEDERAL JUDGE ISSUED A STAY ON ENDING THAT IMMIGRATION CATEGORY UNTIL APPEALS CAN MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.

IT'S A SMALL PIECE OF THE IMMIGRATION PUZZLE BUT ONE THAT AFFECTS A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE IN MINNESOTA THAN IN MOST OTHER STATES.

HERE TO HELP EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS FOR MINNESOTA'S SOMALI IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, JAYLANI HUSSEIN HEADS UP CAIR-MN.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: CAN YOU EXPLAIN, PLEASE, WHAT IS TPS?

IT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED.

>> SO THIS IS A PROGRAM STARTED A LONG TIME AGO.

IT'S PROTECTIVE STATUS, TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS.

IT LLOWS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THEIR COUNTRY TO STAY HERE, TO STAY HERE THROUGH A LEGAL PATHWAY.

IT'S A PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

SOMALI WAS ADDED BY GEORGE BUSH, SENIOR, IN THE EARLY '90s WHEN A CIVIL WAR BROKE OUT IN SOMALIA.

THIS PROGRAM HAS NEVER CREATED AN OFF RAMP, WHERE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE SIMILAR, PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE HERE ON IMMIGRATION STATUS, ALLOW PEOPLE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS, TO THEN MAYBE APPLY FOR A GREEN CARD.

THIS PROGRAM DOESN'T HAVE N OFF RAMP.

SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROGRAM THAT PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITTED FROM.

HOWEVER, MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE TPS HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.

THEY'RE TRYING TO EITHER BECOME ASYLUM SEEKERS OR OTHER THINGS.

SO TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS IS A COVER, IT'S A LEGAL WAY TO BE HERE.

BUT MOST PEOPLE ARE USUALLY APPLYING FOR SOMETHING LIKE AN ASYLUM OR OTHER THINGS, WHICH WE'RE HOPING IN THIS MOMENT, PEOPLE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT THOSE OPTIONS IN THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW.

>> Eric: KRISTI NOEM HAD TALKED ABOUT IMPROVED CONDITIONS N SOMALIA AND THAT IT WAS NO LONGER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM.

WHAT ARE YOUR REACTION TO THOSE COMMENTS?

>> WELL, KRISTI NOEM SAYS THAT.

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBE OWE SAYS -- RUBIO SAYS OTHERWISE.

IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, DO NOT TRAVEL TO SOMALIA.

THIS IS ONE OF THE CENTRAL PARTS OF HIS ARGUMENT THAT THIS LAWSUIT HAS, WHICH IS TO CHALLENGE THE ACTUAL DECISION THAT MERITS WHY THIS PROGRAM WAS ENDED.

WE FEEL THAT SOMALI AMERICANS ARE BEING TARGETED BY THIS PRESIDENT.

NOT ONLY HIS REMARKS, BUT THROUGH POLICY.

WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WEEKS AND MONTHS SOMALI AMERICANS BEING PULLED FROM THE LINE IN AN EFFORT TO BE PRESENTED IN FRONT OF FEDERAL COURT JUDGES WHO THEN ARE MORE LIKELY NOT TO APPROVE ASYLUM CASES.

SO WE'RE SEEING A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES HAPPENING INTERNALLY THAT ARE UNDERMINING THE CURRENT IMMIGRATION SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.

AND SPECIFICALLY TARGETING SOMALI AMERICANS.

>> Cathy: THERE ARE ABOUT 1,100 PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE TPS CHANGE, IS THAT RIGHT?

POTENTIAL CHANGE.

>> THE NUMBER HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO KNOW.

I THINK IT'S BETWEEN 2,000 TO 700 IS REALLY A BALLPARK NUMBER.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LEFT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY WERE APPLYING FOR OTHER PROGRAMS AND THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS -- OR THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL.

>> Cathy: CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY THAT STILL REMAINS IN THE SOMALI AMERICAN COMMUNITY?

IT'S CLEAR THAT THE I.C.E.

AGENTS HAVE DRAWN DOWN, I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL AROUND, BUT THEIR NUMBERS HAVE BEEN DRAWN DOWN.

BUT WHAT'S THE LEVEL OF FEAR THAT'S STILL IN THE COMMUNITY?

>> IT'S VERY REAL BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING DRAWN INTO COURT.

THERE ARE CASES BEING EXPEDITED, THEIR ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY CLIENTS THAT ARE BEING CALLED IN THIS MONTH AND NEXT MONTH.

SO THERE IS AN ONGOING, ALMOST A WAR AGAINST THE SOMALI AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

WE SEE THE PRESIDENT MAKING REMARKS.

WE'VE ALSO SEEN CONGRESSMAN PETE STAUBER FROM THE EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT PUT OUT AN ANTI-FRAUD LEGISLATION AND NAMED IT SOMALI ACT.

I MEAN, HOW DISCRIMINATORY AND HATEFUL THAT IS.

AND WE'VE CALLED FOR HIM TO NOT ONLY CHANGE THAT, BUT FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA TO CALL HIM OUT FOR THAT.

SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING.

SO EVEN THOUGH THE TPS PROGRAM ISSUE MAY IMPACT SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE, THE OVERALL OTHER REFUGEES, SOME OF THEM ARE BEING RECALLED FOR INTERVIEWS THAT WERE HAPPENING, THEY ALREADY HAPPENED ABROAD.

SO, WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING, SOME OF THAT IS, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT SEEING THE SAME LIGHT THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE I.C.E.

RAIDS.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE NEXT STEPS?

>> NUMBER ONE, WE'RE HOPEFUL ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT.

AND IT WILL TAKE TIME.

SO WE'VE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH THEIR ATTORNEYS, CONNECT WITH KARE AND OTHER -- CAIR AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THIS LAWSUIT.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON PAUSE, EVERYBODY CAN CONTINUE TO BEHAVE THE SAME WAY, THEY CAN USE THE COURT ORDER AS A WAY TO SHOW TO THEIR EMPLOYERS THAT THE TPS PROGRAM HAS NOT ENDED.

SO THIS IS REALLY A GOOD STEP AND CONTINUE TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT STEP WHICH IS WHATEVER ELSE THEY'RE APPLYING FOR.

>> Eric: IF THERE EVER WAS A COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION POLICY PASSED BY CONGRESS, I SUPPOSE THIS WOULD BE ONE THING THEY WOULD DEAL WITH.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S WHY I THINK MINNESOTANS NOW NEED TO PIVOT.

WE HAD A MOMENT IN AMERICA WHERE WE PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE I.C.E.

ATTACK AGAINST OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT FORCED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO START LOOKING INTO IMMIGRATION.

I THINK WE NOW HAVE TO START CALLING FOR A WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.

I THINK THERE IS MORE ENERGY THERE, MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND NOT WHAT I.C.E.

WAS DOING.

AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT OF WHY NOEM AND BOW VINO -- BOVINO ARE NO LONGER HERE.

>> Cathy: WE WISH YOU A GOOD CELEBRATION HERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING AT HOME.

EID MUBARAK, CONTINUE TO STAY