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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — On Friday, a federal judge took steps to bolster protections for Minnesota refugees legally residing in the United States, shielding them from the threat of arrest and deportation.
Judge John Tunheim of the U.S. District Court approved a request from refugee advocates to transform a temporary restraining order, initially issued in January, into a preliminary injunction, offering more lasting protection.
While this ruling is specific to Minnesota, the broader implications of a new refugee policy introduced by the Department of Homeland Security on February 19 were central to discussions during a court hearing held by Judge Tunheim the following day.
The Trump administration asserts it has the right to arrest potentially tens of thousands of refugees across the U.S. who entered the country legally but don’t yet have green cards. A new Homeland Security memo interprets immigration laws to say that refugees applying for green cards must return to federal custody one year after they were admitted to the U.S. so that their applications can be reviewed.
“This Court will not allow federal authorities to use a new and erroneous statutory interpretation to terrorize refugees who immigrated to this country under the promise that they would be welcomed and allowed to live in peace, far from the persecution they fled,” Tunheim said.