The Trump administration has announced a sweeping review of thousands of refugee cases in Minnesota, as part of a new initiative aimed at tightening background checks and verifying refugee claims.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Citizenship and Immigration Services launched the operation, codenamed “Operation PARRIS” – short for “post-admission refugee reverification and integrity strengthening” – in mid-December, according to a statement released on Friday.
The announcement came just two days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis during a large-scale operation. The shooting has prompted protests in Minneapolis and other cities across the US, including Boston, New York and Washington, DC. Hours after the killing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that agents would continue to operate in Minneapolis and across the state.
Operation PARRIS will initially focus on Minnesota’s 5,600 refugees who have not yet been granted lawful permanent resident status, known as green cards. Officials have already begun referring cases to ICE. A DHS official described Minnesota as “ground zero for the war on fraud,” and a spokesperson said: “This operation in Minnesota demonstrates that the Trump administration will not stand idly by as the US immigration system is weaponized by those seeking to defraud the American people. American citizens and the rule of law come first, always.”
The move follows a long-running fraud scandal in the state, with many of those charged being of Somali descent. President Donald Trump has claimed that Somali immigrants “ripped off that state” and has previously referred to them as “garbage.” Minnesota is home to the nation’s largest Somali population, though census data reviewed by the Minnesota Reformer indicates that most Somali Americans are US citizens. Governor Tim Walz has pushed back against the administration’s rhetoric, saying: “You commit fraud in Minnesota, you're going to prison. I don't care what color you are, what religion you are... But sitting on the sidelines and throwing out accusations and, let's be very clear, demonizing an entire population and lying to people about the safety and security of the state, is beneath that.”
