Judge halts federal sweep of Minnesota refugees [View all]
Source: Courthouse News Service
January 28, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — A federal judge issued a rebuke to the Trump administration Wednesday, halting a sweeping operation that led to the warrantless arrests of lawfully admitted refugees across Minnesota.
In a 32-page order, U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim granted a temporary restraining order against “Operation PARRIS,” halting the operation for now and requiring the immediate release of previously detained refugees — including a mandate that those detainees are returned to Minnesota if they have been transported elsewhere.
“They are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border,” said Tunheim, a Bill Clinton appointee. “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.”
The initiative, launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in early January, was designed to target and “reexamine” the legal status of 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have not yet transitioned to permanent residency. In the original class action, The Advocates For Human Rights and several refugees claim DHS agents have arrested and detained — without notice or warrant — individuals previously screened and admitted into the country as refugees.
Read more: https://courthousenews.com/judge-halts-federal-sweep-of-minnesota-refugees/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Tunheim-order-Operation-PARRIS.pdf
(this appears to be a new case filed this month)
= new reply since forum marked as read