Refugee Congress Condemns DHS Memo Threatening Arrest, Indefinite Detention of Resettled Refugees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Refugee Congress unequivocally condemns the Department of Homeland Security’s stated intent to detain, re-interview, and deport resettled refugees who have not yet obtained a green card within one year of their arrival.

This newly released DHS memo represents a dangerous escalation. It uses Minnesota – and welcoming communities across the country – as a testing ground for policies that undermine due process, expand detention authority beyond long-standing guidance, and subject legally admitted refugees to indefinite confinement and renewed interrogation, escalating cruelty against our forcibly displaced neighbors. These actions erode statutory refugee protections and destabilize communities that have lawfully welcomed their new neighbors.

Refugee resettlement is designed to be a lasting protection for people who have fled unimaginable violence and persecution. To be resettled to safety, refugees often spend years having every detail of their lives scrutinized in intrusive, expensive, and lengthy vetting processes. Detaining and “revetting” resettled refugees only serves to retraumatize and instill fear in people who have experienced displacement and redirects resources and services away from our communities.

Obtaining a green card within a year of arrival is already a difficult task. The administration has effectively suspended processing green card applications from 75 countries – many of which refugees were forced to flee – and has cut funding and staffing to address years-long backlogs that often delay green card processing. Refugees can only apply for a green card after being physically present in the U.S. for one year, and DHS’s new policy subjects refugees to unnecessary fear that they may be abruptly taken from their communities and sent back to places where their lives could be in danger.

Refugees and people who have experienced forced displacement enrich our nation in every way imaginable – contributing their skills, expertise, and economic investments to our communities, and sharing in the faith traditions, civic leadership, and cultural practices that make our communities vibrant.  Rather than helping us build safe, resilient, thriving neighborhoods, DHS is investing in manufacturing fear and division in our communities and disregarding our nation’s foundational values and traditions of protecting people seeking hope and safety.

Refugee Congress strongly rejects the administration’s continued efforts to target people seeking safety and create fear in our communities. We urge lawmakers to protect our communities and shared values, and to uphold refugee protections that have long been guaranteed by U.S. laws. 

If you think you may be impacted by the contents of this memo or related policy changes, please consult these legal resources and a trusted attorney.