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Judge blocks arrests of new refugees in US
A judge has blocked the Trump administration's efforts to detain newly arrived refugees in Minnesota. FOX 9's Paul Blume has the latest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A federal judge has stopped the Trump administration's plan to arrest and detain recently arrived refugees in Minnesota
Federal judge blocks refugee detentions
What we know:
U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim ruled that the refugees targeted by immigration enforcement officials had undergone extensive background checks and were approved by federal agencies to lawfully enter and work in the U.S. He stated that detaining them as part of Operation PARRIS is unlawful.
"The refugees impacted by this Order are carefully and thoroughly vetted individuals who have been invited into the United States because of persecution in the countries from which they have come. They are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border," Tunheim wrote. "Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully — and importantly, a right not to be subjected to the terror of being arrested and detained without warrants or cause in their homes or on their way to religious services or to buy groceries."
Court order impacts thousands of refugees
By the numbers:
Customs and immigration officials estimate there are about 5,600 newly arrived refugees in Minnesota who have not yet received their green cards.
Attorneys involved in the class action litigation believe that at least 100 refugees have been detained during recent sweeps across the state.
Judge Tunheim's order demands their immediate release and prohibits further arrests while the case is litigated.
"At its best, America serves as a haven of individual liberties in a world too often full of tyranny and cruelty. We abandon that ideal when we subject our neighbors to fear and chaos," wrote Tunheim.
What they're saying:
Michelle Drake, one of the lead attorneys on the litigation, emphasized that being a refugee is a specific legal status requiring background checks and screenings before entering the U.S. And that refugees receive work permits and assistance to integrate into society before becoming eligible for green cards after one year in the country.
"These are people who came to the country in order to escape authoritarian regimes where people get thrown into vehicles and handcuffed by masked men. And in fact, that is what they are experiencing in the United States. And it is truly shameful and it is also illegal," said Drake.
Drake told the FOX 9 Investigators she is concerned about the government’s compliance with Tunheim’s order. She said her client, who is one of the named plaintiffs in the case, was not released within 24 hours of the ruling that Tunheim filed late Wednesday afternoon.
The veteran judge ordered all refugees currently in custody in Minnesota to be released immediately. He gave immigration officials five days to return and release those who were transferred out of the state.
Trump administration blames court for undermining immigration laws
The other side:
The Trump administration, through a statement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, argued that Minnesota is a focal point in the battle against immigration fraud — and that Operation PARRIS is focused on rescreening the refugees previously admitted into the country.
"This operation in Minnesota 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," wrote the USCIS. "This is yet another lawless and activist order from the federal judiciary who continues to undermine our immigration laws. We look forward to being vindicated in court. American citizens and the rule of law come first, always."