A significant legal battle has emerged in Minnesota as approximately 100 lawfully admitted refugees filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday. The litigation targets what attorneys describe as a systematic “detention dragnet” operation that specifically terrorizes one of the most thoroughly vetted immigrant populations in the United States.
According to Stephanie Gee, Senior Director of U.S. Legal Services at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have detained these refugees without formal charges since January 9th, when the federal government initiated “Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening.” The detained individuals originate from various countries, including European nations, with some being children.
IRAP, in collaboration with the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and class action firm Berger Montague, argues the operation violates multiple constitutional protections and established government procedures for handling refugee cases. “This operation itself is unlawful on many levels,” Gee emphasized, noting that it contradicts existing policies governing refugee applications and treatment within the country.
The enforcement tactics in Minnesota mirror ICE’s controversial approaches nationwide, featuring violent arrests where immigrants are forcibly removed from homes and vehicles. Detainees face transfer to remote facilities in Texas under conditions critics compare to “concentration camps” due to severe overcrowding, inadequate hygiene, and substandard nutrition.
Refugees undergo exceptionally rigorous screening—often lasting years—before receiving government-funded relocation to American communities. This population never anticipated vulnerability to detention and removal procedures given their lawful status and extensive pre-admission vetting.
The situation escalated tragically when ICE agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota who were legally documenting enforcement activities. Despite ongoing investigations, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended ICE operations, denouncing comparisons to Nazi Gestapo as “despicable” and “shameful.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly demanded federal agents leave his city, declaring, “A great American city is being invaded by its own federal government.” Homeland Security data reveals most detained immigrants possess no criminal records, contradicting administration claims targeting “the worst of the worst.”