Trump administration to investigate refugee status of Minnesota residents
The trump governance has launched Operation PARRIS (Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening), a USCIS-led effort that began in mid-December to reexamine the refugee status of thousands of Minnesota residents-initially about 5,600 refugees who have not yet received lawful permanent resident status. The review uses renewed background checks, reinterviews, and merit reviews under enhanced screening standards and has already produced referrals to ICE for suspected fraud and criminal activity; USCIS said the operation also helped lead to the arrest of a Burmese national. Officials framed Minnesota as a focal point because of recent large-scale social-services fraud prosecutions in the Minneapolis area and the state’s large somali population.The initiative comes amid heightened tensions after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a local woman, an incident now under DOJ review, while federal deployments to the region continue despite calls from local and state leaders to halt enforcement actions. The administration says the operation is part of a broader push to reinterview refugees admitted during the Biden administration (as many as 200,000) and to tighten immigration vetting for national security and public-safety reasons.
Trump administration to investigate refugee status of Minnesota residents
The Trump administration announced Friday that it has begun reexamining the refugee status of thousands of Minnesota residents, launching a sweeping review that subjects already-approved refugees to new background checks and interviews amid an expanded federal enforcement operation in the state.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the effort began in mid-December and is initially focused on roughly 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have not yet received lawful permanent resident status. The agency said the review has already led to referrals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for suspected fraud and other criminal activity.
Operation PARRIS is fully underway. We’ve surged USCIS resources to Minnesota to reexamine thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims. We are working closely with @ICEgov to remove all criminal aliens guilty of fraud and… pic.twitter.com/jvWtMQMV0r
— USCIS (@USCIS) January 9, 2026
The initiative, known as Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening, or Operation PARRIS, is being led by a newly established USCIS vetting center. Adjudicators are conducting renewed background checks, reinterviews, and merit reviews of refugee claims under enhanced screening standards required by recent executive actions.
“Minnesota is ground zero for the war on fraud,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. “This operation demonstrates that the Trump administration will not stand idly by as the U.S. immigration system is weaponized by those seeking to defraud the American people. American citizens and the rule of law come first.”
The administration has previously stated it plans to reinterview as many as 200,000 refugees who entered the country during former President Joe Biden’s term. Refugees are typically the most heavily vetted class of immigrants, undergoing extensive screening, interviews, and medical exams before being admitted to the United States.
USCIS touted a recent success Wednesday due to Operation PARRIS, announcing it helped lead to the arrest of a Burmese national who is a “convicted felon and public safety threat.”
🚨BIG WIN FOR SAFETY: USCIS is surging resources to the Minneapolis area to rigorously re-vet refugees and support @DHSgov in arresting criminal aliens.
USCIS’ Operation PARRIS led to the arrest of a Burmese national who is a CONVICTED FELON and public safety threat.
At @POTUS… pic.twitter.com/9FkSBof8rd
— USCIS (@USCIS) January 7, 2026
The Minnesota operation comes amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this week. Footage shows she blocked immigration enforcement officers from proceeding down a neighborhood road.
WATCH: https://t.co/58VV2i9O7w
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 9, 2026
The shooting is under review by the Department of Justice, while local officials, including Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have called for a joint investigation between state and local partners.
Democratic state and local officials have urged federal officers to halt enforcement operations, but Homeland Security officials have said they will continue deployments in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. About 2,000 federal officers have been sent to the region, according to the department.
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The administration has zeroed in on Minnesota following revelations of large-scale fraud involving social service programs in the Minneapolis area. More than 90 people, most with ties to the state’s Somali community, have been charged in fraud schemes targeting social services.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali diaspora in the world, with roughly 80,000 residents of Somali ancestry. Federal officials said the refugee review is part of a broader push to tighten legal immigration pathways and ensure that prior approvals granted during the Biden administration meet updated national security and public safety standards.
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