Trump DHS Detains Previously Admitted Refugees in Minnesota, Judge Halts Arrests

The article reports that the Trump administration has launched a 'revetting' campaign targeting refugees already admitted to the United States under President Biden, with an initial focus on about 5,600 refugees who settled in Minnesota and have not yet become permanent residents. Refugees and advocates describe masked federal officers arriving in unmarked vehicles, handcuffing people outside their homes in St. Paul and elsewhere, and telling them their legal status is under review despite years‑old vetting and resettlement. In January, a federal judge issued a temporary order halting the arrest and detention of refugees in Minnesota while a lawsuit proceeds, and directed the immediate release of all refugees detained in the state or transferred to Texas under the new policy. Refugees from Venezuela, Myanmar and Congo tell AP they have endured multiple inconclusive interrogations, stopped working or walking outside without church letters, and now live in constant fear that the status they thought was secure can be taken away. The story underscores a sharp break with decades of bipartisan practice under the 1980 Refugee Act, where previously granted refugee status was rarely revisited, and raises broader questions about how far DHS can retroactively undo prior admissions based on shifting political priorities.