How many Somali Americans are naturalized U.S. citizens versus noncitizen residents in 2025?
Executive summary
Precise 2025 counts of Somali Americans who are naturalized U.S. citizens versus noncitizen residents are not available in the supplied sources; reporting offers estimates of Somali populations and notes high naturalization rates historically but gives no contemporaneous breakdown for 2025 (available sources do not mention a 2025 citizen vs. noncitizen split). The sources document that Somali-origin communities in the U.S. are concentrated (notably Minnesota), that Somalia was redesignated for TPS beginning Sept. 18, 2024 with extensions through March 17, 2026 and certain EADs extended through Sept. 17, 2025 — a status that directly affects noncitizen counts, work authorization and potential paths to residence [1] [2] [3].
1. What the public record actually shows about numbers
No source in the provided set gives a definitive 2025 tally separating Somali-origin U.S. residents into naturalized citizens and noncitizen residents. Population estimates exist — for example, state-level estimates and historical academic work on naturalization trends — but none present a nationwide 2025 citizen vs. noncitizen split for Somali Americans, so a precise numeric answer is not found in current reporting (available sources do not mention a 2025 citizen/noncitizen split) [1] [4] [5].
2. Why official counts are hard to produce
Multiple factors make an exact split difficult to calculate from public sources. Large Somali flows to the U.S. over decades include refugees, family immigrants, lawful permanent residents, temporary protected status (TPS) beneficiaries and unauthorized migrants; each category is counted differently in surveys and administrative data. Moreover, TPS redesignations and automatic EAD extensions for Somalia in 2024–2025 affect how many Somalis are recorded as noncitizen residents with work authorization versus other statuses — complicating a simple citizen/noncitizen breakdown [2] [3] [6].
3. What we do know about population size and geography
State-level and secondary data indicate the Somali-origin population in the U.S. is geographically concentrated, with Minnesota hosting the largest community and estimates of tens of thousands in that state; one aggregation lists a U.S. Somali population of roughly 116,520 across 40 states based on earlier data (2021 vintage) and Minnesota figures commonly cited in press and research reports [1] [7]. These local concentrations matter because naturalization rates and noncitizen shares can vary dramatically by state and arrival cohort [1] [4].
4. Evidence on naturalization trends and competing interpretations
Past research and commentary indicate relatively high naturalization rates among some East African immigrant groups: one analyst cited 68% naturalization for Somali-born immigrants in a dataset he discussed, while academic work documents rising naturalization since the 1990s for Somali communities — but these figures are from earlier studies or secondary analysis and are not a comprehensive 2025 national count [8] [5]. Sources differ on emphasis: community advocates and some scholars stress increasing civic integration and citizenship uptake, while other commentators concentrate on socioeconomic challenges alongside high naturalization percentages; the supplied materials do not reconcile those perspectives into a single 2025 estimate [8] [5] [4].
5. How TPS and recent policy actions shape the noncitizen pool
USCIS redesignated Somalia for TPS effective Sept. 18, 2024 and extended protections through March 17, 2026, automatically extending certain employment authorization documents through Sept. 17, 2025. That redesignation temporarily increases the noncitizen resident population recorded as protected and work-authorized — these people are noncitizens but often have long-standing U.S. residence and may be on pathways (or barriers) to permanent status and eventual naturalization depending on future policy and eligibility [2] [3].
6. What a responsible estimate would require
A reliable 2025 split would need: (a) up-to-date American Community Survey or CPS microdata that tags country of birth, year of arrival and citizenship status; (b) administrative counts from USCIS on naturalizations plus USCIS/Department of Homeland Security figures for LPRs, TPS beneficiaries, refugees and removals; and (c) calibrated estimates of unauthorized population from research centers (none of which are present in the supplied sources for 2025). The supplied materials point to the data elements but do not contain the consolidated numbers necessary to produce the requested breakdown (available sources do not mention a consolidated 2025 citizen/noncitizen breakdown) [6] [2] [9].
7. Bottom line and recommended next steps for a precise answer
The supplied reporting documents Somali community size, concentrated state populations (notably Minnesota), historical naturalization momentum and the 2024–2026 TPS redesignation — but it does not provide the exact 2025 counts of naturalized Somali Americans versus noncitizen Somali residents. To get the figure you asked for, consult: the latest U.S. Census Bureau or American Community Survey public-use microdata for 2024–2025, DHS/USCIS naturalization and status counts for 2024–2025, and Pew or Migration Policy Center estimates that disaggregate by country of origin; those data sources are not included among the documents supplied here (available sources do not mention a direct 2025 split) [9] [2] [6].