HIAS Condemns Immigration Enforcement Actions in Minnesota
Silver Spring, Md. – HIAS is horrified by recent immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, including reports that resettled refugees are being targeted. These actions have sown fear across communities that have long called Minnesota home. With dangerous operations happening at homes, schools, places of worship and workplaces, immigrants, refugees, and their allies are no longer safe, evidenced by the tragic killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, this past week.
“Refugees come to this country seeking safety after surviving unimaginable trauma, trusting that the United States will offer them protection and the chance to rebuild their lives,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS. “In turn, they contribute to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of this nation. It is profoundly unjust and deeply harmful that these families are now being subjected to fear and upheaval rather than the security and dignity they were promised.”
The enforcement actions are taking place alongside the launch of Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening (PARRIS), which proports to subject thousands of refugees in Minnesota to renewed scrutiny, investigations, and the reopening of long-settled cases. HIAS has firmly opposed the stated intention of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to re-screen resettled refugees in this way, treating them as perpetual suspects rather than as neighbors who have already proved their need for protection through the most rigorous screening system in the world.
The Somali community in Minnesota has also continued to be a focus of Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts. The attacks on this community, which have been accompanied by hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric, include the removal of temporary protective status (TPS) granted to many Somalis, and the threat of denaturalization and deportation of people to countries where they face harm.
In this volatile moment, HIAS stands in solidarity with the Somali community, with Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities, with our Jewish community partners who are speaking out, and with the state of Minnesota which has a long legacy of welcoming refugees. HIAS will continue to speak out against immigration and refugee policies that endanger lives, fracture communities, deny due process and basic human dignity and betray America’s long-standing commitment to those fleeing persecution.
For press inquiries, please contact media@hias.org.