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Urgent Action Needed: Denounce Wrongful, Discriminatory Refugee Arrests, Detention, and Attempts to Remove Thousands of Refugees from Our Neighborhoods

UPDATED February 19th: In a court filing on February 18th, the Trump administration outlined its plans and purported “justifications” for indiscriminately arresting and re-screening resettled refugees who have lived in the United States for at least one year and have not yet adjusted to lawful permanent resident status. The filing describes a plan to build on Operation PARRIS (announced January 9th) and arrest, “inspect,” and potentially deport refugees throughout the country.

This policy shift upends decades of protection and erodes the U.S. resettlement program as a durable solution that offers a permanent safe place to call home. Although Operation PARRIS has an “initial focus” on 5,600 resettled refugees in Minnesota, this plan makes clear an intent to expand operations across the country. For more information, check out this factsheet.

Meanwhile, Congress is recessed while Members negotiate funding levels and important reforms to rein in the Department of Homeland Security’s unaccountable – and increasingly violent – campaign of enforcement, deadly force, and detention. Although federal funding for DHS lapsed, ICE and CBP enforcement operations will continue with billions of dollars funded by H.R.1, and many employees (like at FEMA and TSA) work without pay during the shutdown.

Contact your Members of Congress TODAY and urge them to uphold refugee protections guaranteed by U.S. law and ensure that the final FY26 DHS funding bill:

  • Rescinds or cuts funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP’s Border Patrol, mandates a full congressional investigation into their use of force, including deadly force, racial profiling, and enforcement operations in locations based on political retribution, and strengthens accountability for abuses by immigration enforcement officers.
  • Ends Operation PARRIS: Prohibit funding used for Operation PARRIS and any other operation carrying out indiscriminate arrests of lawfully present refugees in Minnesota or any other state or city. This should also include prohibiting funding for DHS for family detention, detention of minors, or new contracts for private detention. Please note that Plaintiffs have sought relief from the harms of this operation through a new lawsuit filed January 24, 2026, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on January 28, 2026.
  • Prohibits immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations:” Ensure no funding is used to engage in any enforcement action that takes place at, is focused on, or occurs within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location as defined in the Sensitive Locations Act (H.R. 1061/S. 455).

We want all Americans who came to this country seeking safety to know that we will not stop speaking out and hope to uplift your voices in any way we can.

Click on the right-hand side to input your information to send an email directly to your elected leaders.

For more resources for refugee and refugee-serving communities in response to Operation PARRIS, check out the resources below.

RCUSA Resources:

Lawsuit Challenging Operation PARRIS

Emergency Preparedness & Know Your Rights 

Mental Health Resources for Immigrants & Refugees 

Planning for Travel

Legal Assistance (National) 

Legal Practitioners:

Advocacy Materials:

*For more ways to get involved in Minnesota, please click here.