U.S commences background checks for 5600 refugees in Minnesota awaiting permanent residency

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has deployed a specialised vetting centre to conduct intensive background checks and merit reviews on approximately 5,600 refugees currently residing in Minnesota who have yet to secure permanent residency.

The authorities have declared Minnesota the “ground zero” of a rigorous new campaign to root out immigration fraud, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launches a sweeping forensic review of thousands of refugee applications.

Dubbed Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening), the initiative marks a significant escalation in border security effort

A spokesperson for the DHS underscored the administration’s uncompromising stance on the matter, stating:
“Minnesota is ground zero for the war on fraud. This operation demonstrates that the administration will not stand idly by as the U.S. immigration system is weaponised by those seeking to defraud the American people. American citizens and the rule of law come first, always.”

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Rigorous vetting and ICE referrals
The operation quietly commenced in mid-December, but has already begun referring cases involving suspected fraud or criminal activity to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential deportation proceedings.

The crackdown follows the template of the recent Operation Twin Shield, a probe that reportedly exposed “widespread” immigration irregularities within the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.

Officials confirmed that Operation PARRIS is a direct result of enhanced screening standards mandated by recent executive orders. These directives require federal agencies to implement “maximum vetting” to insulate the country from foreign terrorist threats and public safety risks.

Exhaustive re-interviews and data verification is currently being carried out to ensure that claims for asylum and refugee status are genuine. The USCIS has maintained that these measures are essential to “rooting out fraud” and upholding the integrity of the nation’s borders.

Ngozi Ekugo

Ngozi Ekugo is a Senior Correspondent at BusinessDay. She holds a Masters in management from the University of Lagos, an undergraduate from University of Lagos, and is in an alumni of Queen's College. Shes currently an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). She has a brief experience at Goldman sachs, London in its Human Capital Management division. She is interested in human capital development and is leveraging her varied experience across sectors to report labour and global mobility trends for stakeholders to make informed decisions.