As many people know, the process of seeking safety in the United States for families forced to flee their homes is extensive and difficult. Refugees admitted to the United States by the government undergo years of processing, in-person interviews, security checks, and medical screenings before setting foot on U.S. soil.
Now, under a new initiative, thousands of refugees in Minnesota are the target of an intensive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation to reexamine their status under U.S. law.
What is Operation PARRIS?
DHS and its agency U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have launched Operation PARRIS, “a sweeping initiative reexamining thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims.” PARRIS stands for “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening.”
Through Operation PARRIS, USCIS is now conducting background checks, reinterviews, and merit reviews of refugee claims—with an initial focus on about 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have yet to be granted green cards. USCIS has begun referring some cases to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
There are reports of refugees being arrested, detained, and transferred to detention centers in Texas.
Operation PARRIS is part of a broader surge of federal immigration enforcement resources into Minnesota and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Operation PARRIS is also part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to relitigate, reconsider, and second-guess previous grants of refugee status—meaning that families who followed all of the rules and were lawfully admitted to the U.S. may now be returned to their home countries.
Why are refugees being re-vetted or reviewed?
In November 2025, USCIS called for a wider review and reinterview process for more than 200,000 refugees who were lawfully admitted to the United States between early 2021 and early 2025. Under a policy memo, USCIS also froze green card approvals for refugees admitted in this timeframe across all nationalities.
Through other actions, USCIS is also reviewing and rereviewing all application approvals it granted to foreign nationals from countries listed in President Trump’s travel ban proclamations, which now restrict travel from 39 nationalities.
Together, these steps constitute a massive undertaking to cast doubt on thousands of lawfully arrived and legally present newcomers.
What are the concerns about Operation PARRIS and its impacts? How can we help impacted refugees?
From green cards to grants of refugee status, USCIS is responsible for adjudicating and approving requests from immigrants on a case-by-case basis. These adjudications and approvals are handled by nonpartisan civil servants. Policy steps like the re-vetting process and Operation PARRIS, however, cast an incredibly broad brush by subjecting thousands of individuals—regardless of entry date, nationality, or personal history—to renewed government scrutiny and intimidation.
The immigration system is already incredibly backlogged. Now, the U.S. government is diverting a tremendous amount of personnel, time, and resources to relitigate its past decisions rather than move forward. Refugee reviews and reinterviews will also force refugees to relive their past trauma and persecution.
Operation PARRIS and other re-vetting efforts seem to have little discernible policy benefit for the United States. Instead, refugee communities are once again being subjected to trauma, uncertainty, and fear of forced return to the very situations they waited years to escape.
Join us in speaking out about Operation PARRIS and other re-vetting efforts!
Sign our action alert to your lawmakers urging them to push back on the USCIS reinterview process.
