US Homeland Security Uses ‘I Am The Captain Now’ Meme As Trump Ends Protected Status For Somalis

Last Updated:January 14, 2026, 01:16 IST

The image caption draws from a viral meme as the Trump administration announces the end of TPS for Somalis.

Shared by US Homeland Security, the image draws on the ‘I am the captain now’ meme from Captain Phillips while announcing the end of protected status for Somalis under the Trump administration. (IMAGE: X)

The Trump administration has moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals, a decision that drew sharp attention after the US Department of Homeland Security reposted an image of US President Donald Trump with the caption “I am the captain now" alongside the announcement.

The repost amplified a message originally shared by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which said DHS and USCIS were ending TPS protections for Somalia, adding the line: “Temporary means TEMPORARY."

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Somali nationals currently under TPS will be required to leave the United States by March 17, when protections — last extended by former President Joe Biden — are set to expire.

The decision affects a relatively small group of people. A Congressional Research Service report last year estimated the Somali TPS population at around 705 individuals, out of nearly 1.3 million TPS holders across all designated countries. However, the move forms part of Trump’s broader push to roll back temporary immigration protections during his second term.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the decision, saying conditions in Somalia had “improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement" for TPS. “Temporary means temporary," Noem said, framing the move as consistent with the intent of the programme.

TPS was created by the US Congress in 1990 to allow nationals from countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or extraordinary conditions to live and work in the United States temporarily. Somalia was first designated for TPS in 1991, during the early years of its civil war. Since then, the designation has been extended repeatedly, with US authorities citing persistent insecurity, armed conflict and humanitarian crises.

Somalia remains one of the world’s poorest countries and has faced decades of instability, compounded by droughts and ongoing violence. A 2025 congressional report noted that Somalia’s TPS designation had been extended more than two dozen times due to “ongoing armed conflict and serious threats to the safety of returnees."

The decision has also reignited political tensions in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali-American communities in the United States. Protests have intensified in recent weeks amid a broader immigration crackdown, including heightened federal enforcement activity in Minneapolis.

Trump has repeatedly targeted Somali immigrants in past remarks, accusing communities in Minnesota of fraud and using racially charged language. He has also singled out Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who emigrated from Somalia as a child, suggesting she should be deported despite her US citizenship.

The reposted image — featuring Trump leaning forward with both hands on a desk, captioned “I am the captain now" — drew attention for its use of a pop-culture meme commonly associated with asserting control and dominance.

What Does ‘I Am The Captain Now’ Mean?

The phrase “I am the captain now" originates from the 2013 Hollywood film Captain Phillips, based on the real-life hijacking of a US cargo ship by Somali pirates in 2009. In the film, the line is delivered by a Somali pirate after he takes control of the vessel, and has since evolved into a widely used internet meme to signal authority, dominance or a shift in control.

Over the years, the meme has been adopted across social media to convey power or finality, often detached from its original context. However, its use by a US government agency in connection with an immigration decision affecting Somali nationals drew attention because of the phrase’s cinematic origin.

News world US Homeland Security Uses ‘I Am The Captain Now’ Meme As Trump Ends Protected Status For Somalis

Read More