The Trump administration has given immigration officers wider powers to detain legal refugees awaiting green cards, ordering their return to custody for renewed vetting one year after entering the U.S.
In a memo dated 18 February and in a federal court filing, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said refugees must be brought back into government custody for “inspection and examination” a year after admission.
“This detain-and-inspect requirement ensures that refugees are re-vetted after one year, aligns post-admission vetting with that applied to other applicants for admission, and promotes public safety,” the memo stated.
U.S. law requires refugees to apply for lawful permanent resident status after one year in the country. The memo authorises immigration authorities to detain individuals for the entire duration of the re-inspection process.
The change marks a shift from the 2010 memorandum, which said failure to obtain permanent residence was not a “basis” for removal or a “proper basis” for detention.
The decision has prompted criticism from refugee advocates. AfghanEvac’s president Shawn VanDiver called the directive “a reckless reversal of long-standing policy” and said it “breaks faith with people the United States lawfully admitted and promised protection.”
HIAS, formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, said the policy “will cause grave harm to thousands of people who were welcomed to the United States after fleeing violence and persecution.”
A 59-year-old Cambodian national, Lorth Sim, died on Monday while being held at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana, marking at least the seventh death in U.S. immigration custody this year, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) saying staff found him unresponsive in his cell and that the cause is under investigation.
Earlier this month, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who lost dozens of family members in Gaza, was hospitalised for three days following a seizure in U.S. immigration detention. The 33-year-old, whose mother is a U.S. citizen, claimed she was chained during her hospitalisation, according to reports.
Detention levels have climbed sharply under President Donald Trump, reaching about 68,000 people this month, an increase of roughly 75% since he took office last year according to Reuters.
During the same period, detainees filed more than 20,200 federal habeas lawsuits seeking release, and judges have issued thousands of rulings since October finding that the government’s detention practices violated federal law according to reports.
Court records show that at least 4,421 detainees won their cases in recent months, while many others were released or transferred before rulings were issued according to Reuters.
"It is appalling that the Government insists that this Court should redefine or completely disregard the current law as it is clearly written," U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston of West Virginia said 4 February when he ordered the release of a Venezuelan detainee in the state.
The expanding caseload has strained the system, with more than 700 Justice Department attorneys appearing in immigration-related habeas matters and some assigned to more than 1,000 cases, reflecting the pressure created by the administration’s broader detention strategy.
U.S. District Court Judge John Tunheim in January temporarily blocked a recently announced policy targeting the roughly 5,600 lawful refugees in Minnesota awaiting green cards.
In a written ruling, Tunheim said federal agents likely violated multiple federal statutes by arresting some refugees to subject them to additional vetting.
Iranian missile attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain failed after missiles were intercepted, fell short or broke apart, according to CENTCOM. U.S. and Bahrai...
China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, has met Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, in Islamabad to di...
British police are facing a national backlash over their handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while d...
International organisations, investors, environmental experts and business representatives gathered in Samarkand for the opening of Eco Expo Central A...
China is sending doctors, medical teams and emergency supplies to help combat a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, joining an international eff...
The U.S. has arrested Adys Lastres Morera, the sister of the head of GAESA, a military-run business group which owns Cuba’s most profitable enterprises, including the island’s five-star hotels, and its largest port.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a three‑year budget plan on Wednesday that clears the way for Congress to take up an additional $70 billion for immigration enforcement by federal agencies.
U.S. border tsar Tom Homan, newly appointed to oversee President Donald Trump's immigration policies in Minneapolis, said agents would concentrate on targeted, strategic enforcement following weeks of criticism over heavy-handed tactics.
Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, seeking to block a surge of federal immigration enforcement officers sent into their states following the fatal shooting of a woman by a U.S. immigration officer in Minneapolis last week.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian officials warn of renewed large-scale attacks and ongoing escalation risks.
Dutch police have launched an investigation into the use of force against a pregnant woman at an asylum seekers' centre in Zeist after videos of the incident circulated widely on social media.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon. According to a U.S. official, Washington has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation of hostilities.
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the European Union. The result may not only determine who governs Armenia but also the future direction of the country's geopolitical alignment.
British police are facing a national backlash over their handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying from stab wounds after his attacker falsely claimed to be the victim of a racist assault.
China is sending doctors, medical teams and emergency supplies to help combat a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, joining an international effort to contain the disease before it spreads further.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they struck a cargo ship owned by the “American-Zionist enemy” with a cruise missile after an Iranian freighter was attacked in the Sea of Oman.
Dutch police have launched an investigation into the use of force against a pregnant woman at an asylum seekers' centre in Zeist after videos of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he continues to reject calls to resign.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment