Original Date Announced

USCIS announced that USCIS and DHS launched Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening) in Minnesota, an initiative to reexamine thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims. The initial focus is on 5,600 refugees who have not yet been given lawful permanent resident status. DHS and USCIS have begun referring cases of fraud and other crimes to ICE.

The press release states that Operation PARRIS follows Operation Twin Shield, a recent investigation that uncovered immigration fraud in Minnesota, and is part of a broader strategy to implement enhanced screening standards under Executive Order 14161 and Presidential Proclamation 10949.

Trump 2.0 [ID #2161]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.14 Reported: ICE Arrested Dozens of Refugees in Minnesota and Sent Them to Texas, Lawyers Say - New York Times

The New York Times reports that federal immigration agents have arrested dozens of mostly Somali refugees in Minnesota who had already passed security screenings before being admitted to the United States. Michele Garnett McKenzie, executive director at the Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis, said most of those detained were being transferred to facilities in Texas. She estimated that at least 100 people had been detained, including children.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.21 Reported: Trump Administration Starts Immigration Operation in Maine - Reuters

Reuters reports that the Trump Administration has started an immigration operation in Maine, targeting a state home to several refugee communities, including Somalis. DHS said in a press release that it kicked off "Operation Catch of the Day" on January 20, 2026, targeting those it called criminal offenders. More than 100 agents arrived in Maine and an anonymous official said the operation would focus on refugees.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.24 Class Action Complaint - U.H.A. v. Bondi

A group of refugees detained or at risk of detention under Operation PARRIS filed a class action challenging Operation PARRIS's policy of "warrantless arrest, unauthorized detention, and coercive interrogation" of refugees in Minnesota. The complaint alleges that ICE is arbitrarily targeting lawfully resettled refugees, including children; arresting them without explanation; detaining them for days, many as far away as South Texas; and subjecting them to coercive interrogations, often without legal counsel.

The complaint also describes Operation PARRIS' implementation: "[A]t least one hundred families have been awakened to loud banging on the doors of their homes, or subject to ruses to lure them to arresting agents, or followed in their cars before being arrested, handcuffed and detained by multiple armed agents." It asserts that the government's actions violate the APA, ICE's own directives and regulations, and the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. In addition to claiming that Operation PARRIS violates class members' substantive and procedural due process rights, Plaintiffs allege that Operation PARRIS is "a policy to target refugees for arrest, detention, and interrogation based on their race, ethnicity and religion as a result of discriminatory animus towards people from non-white and/or Muslim majority countries" in violation of equal-protection principles. U.H.A. v. Bondi, No. 0:26-cv-00417 (D. Minn.).

***Link to case here. Our litigation entries generally report only the initial complaint and any major substantive filings or decisions. For additional information, CourtListener provides access to PACER and all available pleadings. Other sites that track litigation in more detail or organize cases by topic include Civil Rights Clearinghouse, Justice Action Center, National Immigration Litigation Alliance, and Just Security***

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.28 U.H.A. v. Bondi - Memorandum Opinion Granting TRO

Judge John R. Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the arrest and detention of lawfully resettled refugees under Operation PARRIS. The court's order followed reports of warrantless home arrests, uses of force, and immediate transfers to out-of-state facilities.

The court determined that federal statutes do not authorize the mandatory or prolonged detention of unadjusted refugees not charged with any ground for removal. It enjoined the government from arresting or detaining any member of a putative class of Minnesota refugees based solely on their unadjusted status.

The Order also mandates immediate release of all refugees currently detained under the policy, as well as return of transferred detainees to Minnesota within five days. This ruling remains in effect until a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for February 19, 2026.

U.H.A. v. Bondi, No. 0:26-cv-00417 (D. Minn.).

**Link to case here. See litigation note above**

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.18 USCIS/ICE Memo - Detention of Refugees Who Have Failed to Adjust to LPR Status

USCIS and ICE leadership issued a joint memorandum titled "Detention of Refugees Who Have Failed to Adjust to Lawful Permanent Resident Status." The memorandum establishes a new detain-and-inspect policy for unadjusted refugees, requiring that one year after their admission to the U.S., a refugee must return to be returned to DHS custody for inspection and examination for admission as a lawful permanent resident. If the individual does not voluntarily return, DHS will return the individual to custody (including by arrest or detention). The memorandum states that DHS may maintain custody for the duration of the inspection and examination process. The memorandum additionally states without citation that "Refugee admission is expressly conditional and time-limited."

The memorandum notes that a 2010 memorandum on this topic from James Chaparro was rescinded by separate memo on December 18, 2025 but states that the February 18, 2026, memo rescinds the 2010 memorandum "anew."

**Link to case here. See litigation note above**