The latest directive issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) marks an alarming escalation in the federal government’s attack on refugee families, who have already endured immense trauma due to persecution in their homelands and who have undergone the most exhaustive security vetting of any immigrant group admitted to the United States.
The federal administration has authorized ICE to arrest and detain any refugee who has been in the United States for one year and has not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. This requirement is being put in place even though refugees cannot obtain LPR status until one year after their arrival in the country, and their applications are frequently subject to delays. The newly disclosed memo mandates that all refugees must “return” to DHS custody at the one-year mark for inspection and rescreening and warns that if a refugee does not voluntarily appear, ICE is required to pursue arrest and detention. The memo further asserts that a refugee’s failure to obtain LPR status is itself a basis for arrest and authorizes DHS to detain refugees for a vaguely defined “reasonable length of time.”
This directive builds on ICE’s recent actions in Minnesota under Operation PARRIS, which has led to thousands of refugees being seized without cause, separated from their families, and detained in inhumane conditions. Our position today is the same as when Operation PARRIS first came to light: Forcing heavily vetted refugees—already granted safety and a chance to rebuild their lives in the U.S.—to undergo politically motivated reinterviews is unnecessary, destabilizing, and deeply immoral.
Refugees who have come to see the U.S. as home, and who have become our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and friends, should not live in fear that missing paperwork, delayed adjudications, or government backlogs will result in indiscriminate and indefinite detention. The U.S. has long promised refuge to families fleeing violence and persecution. Now, that promise is being systematically dismantled.
We call on the courts to reject this unlawful policy and on Congress to demand immediate oversight. We will continue to stand with refugee families and do everything we can to help protect their safety and rights. We thank our community for joining us in this critical fight.
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