The Issue

On Friday, January 9, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would be targeting for investigation up to 5,600 lawfully admitted refugees residing in Minnesota through a campaign called “Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” (“Operation PARRIS”). Following this, lawfully present refugees in Minnesota–including families and children–have been subject to warrantless arrest, unauthorized detention, and coercive interrogation in difficult conditions under this policy. In numerous court cases filed by individuals, DHS has claimed that all refugees who have been in the country for more than one year and have not yet been granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status must be detained. DHS has taken this position even though refugees cannot obtain LPR status until the one-year mark after their arrival, and even though DHS itself has announced a freeze on deciding LPR applications for refugees.

​

The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law is co-counsel alongside the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Berger Montague in a lawsuit representing a group of refugees who seek to bring the case as a class action on behalf of themselves and similarly situated refugees in Minnesota.  The plaintiffs are seeking to end DHS’s illegal policy of arresting and detaining lawfully present refugees. 

​

Plaintiffs include five refugees from Africa, Asia, and Latin America who have been detained or are at imminent risk of detention under this policy. Plaintiffs and their families were lawfully admitted to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (“USRAP”) after comprehensive security vetting and are not subject to any ground of removability under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”). Still, they are being subjected to or fear DHS’s illegal, discriminatory, and cruel policy of refugee detention. The Advocates for Human Rights, a non-profit legal services organization with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota who has devoted the last several weeks to responding to Operation PARRIS, including by developing a legal response, supporting detained refugee families, and representing detained refugees in habeas petitions, is also included in the lawsuit as an organizational plaintiff.

​

On January 28, 2026, the Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order granting, in relevant part, the following

​

1. ​For the purposes of this Order, temporary relief is granted to a putative "Class" which encompasses: "All individuals with refugee status who are residing in the state of Minnesota, who have not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident status, and who have not been charged with any ground for removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

2. Defendants are ENJOINED from arresting or detaining any member of the Class on the basis that they are a refugee who has not been adjusted to lawful permanent resident status. 

3. For the purposes of this Order, relief is granted to a putative "Detained Subclass" which encompasses: "All members of the Class who are or will be detained by DHS pursuant to the Refugee Detention Policy."

4. Defendants [DHS] are ORDERED to immediately release all members of the Detained Subclass.

5. If a member of the Detained Subclass has been transferred out of the District of Minnesota, Defendants [DHS] shall immediately TRANSPORT such member to Minnesota and then RELEASE such member from custody within 5 days of the date of this Order. They shall not be released at out-of-District location of detention.

6. Given the severe weather conditions in Minnesota, Defendants [DHS] are ORDERED to coordinate with Plaintiffs' counsel to ensure that upon such members' release, they are not left outside in dangerous cold. In order to ensure humane treatment, Detained Subclass members must be released to counsel or to individuals specifically authorized by counsel.

​​

​

​​