Minnesota – A new directive from the Trump administration is setting off alarm among refugee communities across the country, after the Department of Homeland Security outlined a policy that could result in the arrest and detention of thousands of refugees who have not yet received permanent residency.
The policy was detailed in a DHS memo submitted to a federal court in Minnesota ahead of a closely watched hearing. According to the filing, refugees who apply for green cards must return to federal custody one year after arriving in the United States so their cases can be reviewed.
The memo states that DHS “may maintain custody for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” raising the possibility that some individuals could remain detained while their applications are reassessed.
Federal officials argue the directive is intended to reevaluate cases and confirm that refugees admitted under prior policies still meet eligibility standards. The move follows a series of immigration actions taken under the Trump administration, including steep reductions in refugee admissions and a pause in green card processing for many refugees who arrived during the previous administration.
Advocacy organizations say the consequences could be sweeping. Refugees admitted through the U.S. refugee program undergo years of vetting before entering the country, and many have already begun building lives, working and supporting families while waiting to apply for permanent residency, something they are not eligible to do until they have been in the United States for one year.
HIAS, a nonprofit that assists refugees and asylum seekers, condemned the policy. CEO Beth Oppenheim said the directive threatens people who were promised safety after enduring conflict and displacement.
“They were promised safety and the chance to rebuild their lives,” said Oppenheim. “Instead, DHS is now threatening them with arrest and indefinite detention.”
The directive is closely tied to an enforcement effort known as Operation PARRIS, short for Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening. Launched in December 2025 by DHS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the initiative targets roughly 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have not yet received green cards. Federal officials said the review was prompted by concerns about fraud in state public assistance programs.
Refugee rights groups have filed a lawsuit challenging Operation PARRIS. The DHS memo was submitted just hours before a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Tunheim, who is weighing whether to extend a temporary order that shields refugees in Minnesota from arrest and deportation.
In a January ruling, Tunheim rejected the government’s argument that it has authority to detain refugees who have not secured green cards within one year of arrival. He noted that refugees cannot even apply for permanent residency until they have completed a full year in the country, calling mandatory detention an illogical outcome.
In a separate order halting arrests under Operation PARRIS, the judge underscored that refugees admitted to the United States are here legally. He wrote that they are not criminals and did not cross the border unlawfully, emphasizing their right to live and work without being subjected to arrest and detention without cause.
“They are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border,” Tunheim wrote. “Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause.”
