00:02The Department of Homeland Security is now moving to detain thousands of refugees who are already
00:08legally living in the United States. A memo filed in federal court directs Citizenship
00:14and Immigration Services and ICE to detain refugees who entered lawfully but have not
00:20secured a green card within one year of arrival. They would be held during a new inspection and
00:25examination review. Under the memo, refugees can report for an interview and be taken into custody.
00:31If they do not, DHS says agents will locate them, track them down, and arrest them.
00:37The new inspections are meant to re-vet refugees for fraud, national security, or public safety
00:43concerns. Those who fail could lose their status or be placed in deportation proceedings. The
00:49directive reverses a 2010 policy that said failing to obtain lawful permanent resident status
00:55alone was not grounds for detention. The memo surfaced as legal fights continue in Minnesota,
01:02where a federal judge temporarily blocked detentions tied to the administration's refugee
01:07enforcement operation, writing that agents likely violated multiple federal statutes.
01:13Refugee advocates call the move a breach of trust and a sharp escalation,
01:18arguing it targets people the U.S. admitted legally.
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