The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have launched a sweeping initiative in Minnesota, reexamining thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims.
Officials say Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening) already has referred cases showing signs of fraud to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to a DHS release on Friday, the initial focus is on 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who have been admitted to the United States but have not yet been granted lawful permanent resident status (green cards).
The operation is being led by USCIS' newly established vetting center, with adjudicators conducting thorough background checks, reinterviews, and merit reviews of the refugees' original claims.
"Minnesota is ground zero for the war on fraud," a DHS spokesperson said, stressing that the Trump administration will not allow the immigration system to be "weaponized" by those seeking to exploit taxpayer-funded programs and evade the law.
"American citizens and the rule of law come first, always."
DHS said the effort is designed to ensure refugees actually qualify for protection based on genuine persecution claims — the legal standard required for admission.
The probe, DHS said, will involve new background checks and reverification of the underlying facts used to gain entry into the U.S.
The review is part of a broader national push to strengthen screening and enforce immigration integrity under Executive Order 14161 and Presidential Proclamation 10949, which direct federal agencies to implement enhanced vetting standards aimed at identifying foreign terrorist threats and other public safety risks.
Former USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez, who served during the George W. Bush administration, praised the approach, telling The Washington Times the operation is a "brilliant idea" given Minnesota's long-running fraud concerns.
Gonzalez said red flags can include refugees who later return to the country they claimed they could not safely live in, undermining persecution claims and potentially signaling fraud.
The crackdown comes as Minnesota has been rocked by major fraud cases in recent years — including schemes that prosecutors say bilked taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Washington Times pointed to the $300 million pandemic-era meals program scandal, in which authorities say dozens of individuals signed up for federal child nutrition funds but failed to deliver the promised meals.
Officials have also cited other scams involving government benefit programs, including alleged fraud tied to autism services, where prosecutors say bogus diagnoses were used to draw reimbursements for services that were never provided.
Operation PARRIS, DHS said, builds on Operation Twin Shield, a prior USCIS effort in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that uncovered widespread immigration fraud.
With ICE now receiving fraud referrals from the refugee review, the administration is signaling that immigration integrity isn't just a paperwork issue — it's a public safety and taxpayer protection issue, with Minnesota just the beginning.
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