Judge Blocks Refugee Arrests in Minnesota

Thousands of refugee families in Minnesota just got powerful protection from a federal judge who said the law is on their side.

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim issued a ruling Friday that blocks immigration authorities from arresting or detaining 5,600 refugees in Minnesota simply because they haven't received their green cards yet. These refugees entered the country legally and were vetted through the official refugee program.

The case centered on a policy called "Operation PARRIS" announced in January. The program targeted refugees who hadn't obtained permanent resident status within their first year in America, even though federal law requires refugees to wait a full year before they can even apply for green cards.

Judge Tunheim called out the contradiction directly. He noted that the policy would allow authorities to arrest refugees on day 366 of their legal admission, immediately after they become eligible to apply for permanent status.

The refugees who filed the lawsuit came from Africa, Asia and Latin America. They argued that immigration law doesn't give authorities the power to arrest people who entered the country through the legal refugee program and are following all the rules.

Why This Inspires

This ruling reinforces a promise America made when it passed the Refugee Act of 1980. That law said refugees fleeing persecution would get "a chance at a new beginning in safety."

Judge Tunheim emphasized that refugees came to America "under the promise that they would be welcomed and allowed to live in peace, far from the persecution they fled." His decision upholds that commitment to people who followed every legal step to reach safety.

Kimberly Grano, a lawyer representing the refugees, celebrated the outcome. She said refugees "can now live their lives without fear that their own government will snatch them off the street and imprison them far from their loved ones."

The ruling means refugee families can continue building their lives, going to work, and raising their children without worrying about sudden arrest during the exact moment they're waiting to complete their immigration paperwork. It's a win for the rule of law and for keeping promises to vulnerable people who trusted America's system.