USA US court bans detention of recognized refugees in Minnesota
A US federal judge in Minnesota has banned federal law enforcement officers from arresting recognized refugees in their crackdown on migrants for the time being. Those who are already in custody must be released immediately, explained Judge John Tunheim in a temporary injunction.
29.01.2026, 07:44
SDA
"Refugees have a right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully - and especially a right not to be subjected to the terror of being detained or arrested in their homes or on their way to church services or the supermarket without warrants or specific grounds," the judge explained. The persons concerned had already been "carefully and thoroughly" checked before being recognized as refugees in the USA.
If refugees had already been deported from Minnesota, they had to be returned within five days, the judge ordered. A hearing has been scheduled for February 19 to assess the merits of the case.
Government takes tougher action against migrants in Minneapolis
US President Donald Trump's government wants to re-examine the status of around 5,600 recognized refugees in the state of Minnesota who do not yet have a permanent residence permit. According to the official interpretation, the aim is to uncover cases of fraud. Critics, however, fear that the government's main aim is to arrest and deport as many refugees as possible. A group that supports refugees complained about the procedure. According to the criticism, people were arrested without prior notice or an arrest warrant.
Judge Tunheim stated in his ruling that the responsible immigration authority USCIS was not prevented from re-examining the status of the refugees concerned. However, it must do so "without detentions or arrests".
Federal security forces have been cracking down on migrants in the state of Minnesota, particularly in the city of Minneapolis, for weeks, arresting and deporting people without valid residence permits. Federal forces have already killed two US citizens this month as part of these often martial operations, which are not only protested against locally but also nationwide.
