On January 9, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that they have launched Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening) in Minnesota, “a sweeping initiative reexamining thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims.”
The initial focus is on Minnesota’s 5,600 refugees who have not yet received green cards. DHS said that USCIS’s newly established vetting center is leading Operation PARRIS, with adjudicators conducting background checks, reinterviews, and merit reviews of refugee claims.
Begun in mid-December and now referring cases to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Operation PARRIS is part of a broader strategy to implement enhanced screening standards, DHS said. It appears that all refugee approvals from January 21, 2021, to February 20, 2025 (approximately 233,000 cases) will be reviewed.
