Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today expressed its deep concern over the Trump administration’s detaining of resettled refugees as part of a wider effort to review and potentially revoke their legal status. On January 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the launch of Operation “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” or “PARRIS,” targeting resettled refugees who have fled violence and persecution and found safety in the United States. The operation states explicitly that certain already-vetted and resettled refugees will be subject to an “intensive verification” and re-examination.
Operation PARRIS’ “initial focus” will be on 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who are still in the process of securing green cards and remain on refugee status. Several refugees, including children, have already been detained, with some reportedly transferred out of the state without any due process or access to legal assistance.
“Reopening the cases of already vetted and resettled refugees is both cruel and an incredible misuse of resources for an agency, USCIS, that should be focusing on addressing significant backlogs in applications for protection and benefits. Just as these refugees have begun to rebuild their lives in safety, this unprecedented operation will force them to relive the circumstances of their flight from persecution,” said Rick Santos, President and CEO of Church World Service. “Refugee status is a promise of permanent protection and stability—this administration is breaking that promise to our new neighbors and their families. They are being ripped from their homes without warning and subject to an examination shrouded in secrecy, cut off from their communities, families, American sponsors, and support systems.”
CWS further stresses that resettled refugees are among the most vetted travelers in the world, often having gone through years of extensive biometric and biographic screening and in person status determination interviews conducted by trained refugee officers before being approved to travel to the United States.
Even as refugees are swept up by ICE in Minnesota, significant details on the implementation of Operation PARRIS, the personnel involved, and the legal authorities being invoked remain unclear and without explanation from the administration. At the same time, the administration has dismantled protections for refugees overseas, continues to implement an indefinite refugee ban, and—just today—announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 2,500 Somalis seeking protection in the United States.
Church World Service stands unequivocally with resettled refugees building lives in safety in the United States. We urge our elected leaders to forcibly denounce these sweeping attacks and to conduct oversight over the administration as it targets refugees and others who have come to this country seeking safety.
For more information, or to learn more, contact media@cwsglobal.org.