Judge blocks DHS refugee sweeps in Minnesota
U.S. District Judge John Tunheim has issued a 66‑page opinion upholding his January preliminary injunction that barred DHS from arresting and detaining thousands of newly arrived refugees in Minnesota under Operation PARRIS, and ordered the release of dozens already taken into custody. Tunheim found that the refugees targeted have already undergone 'thorough' federal vetting, were lawfully admitted, and are living and working in Minnesota while awaiting green cards, making the warrantless sweeps unlawful. In unusually sharp language, he questioned the government’s motives, asking why it would 'terrorize refugees' who were brought here under a promise of safety and noting there is 'not a shred of evidence' they pose serious security risks. DHS had argued Minnesota is a focal point for immigration fraud and claimed it needed to rescreen roughly 5,600 recent arrivals, but the court rejected the administration’s new statutory interpretation as erroneous. The ruling immediately protects refugee families in Minneapolis–St. Paul from being grabbed at homes and jobs during the current immigration crackdown, and gives legal ammunition to Twin Cities advocates already fighting the broader Metro Surge in federal court.
📌 Key Facts
- Judge John Tunheim granted and has now reaffirmed a preliminary injunction blocking DHS from arresting and detaining newly arrived refugees in Minnesota under Operation PARRIS.
- Tunheim ordered the immediate release of dozens of refugees already detained and said the government’s theory for re-arresting lawfully admitted refugees was a 'new and erroneous' reading of the law.
- Customs and immigration officials estimate about 5,600 recently arrived refugees in Minnesota have not yet received green cards and were in the Operation PARRIS target pool.
- In a 66‑page ruling, Tunheim wrote there is 'not a shred of evidence' the targeted refugees pose serious national‑security risks and asked why the government would use shackles and distant detention on people it had already thoroughly vetted.
📊 Relevant Data
The majority of recent refugees resettled in Minnesota are from Somalia, making Somalis the second-largest immigrant group in the state.
By immigrant group | MN Compass — MN Compass
Minnesota's foreign-born population from Africa was 141,090, out of a total foreign-born population of approximately 500,000, representing about 28% of immigrants in the state as of recent data.
Minnesota - State Demographics Data | migrationpolicy.org — Migration Policy Institute
A major fraud scandal in Minnesota involving members of the Somali community defrauded over $250 million from federal child nutrition programs between 2020 and 2022, leading to charges against dozens of individuals.
Somalis Fled Civil War and Built a Community. Now They Are a Target. — The New York Times
The US Refugee Act of 1980 created the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, which has facilitated the resettlement of refugees from countries like Somalia to states including Minnesota.
Immigrants and Refugees in Minnesota: Connecting Past and Present — Minnesota Historical Society
Immigration, including refugee resettlement, became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota from 2020 to 2024, with over 81,000 new Americans moving to the state.
Immigration became the leading component of population growth in Minnesota this decade — Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
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