Presbyterian Office of Public Witness Calls for Halt to Detention of Lawfully Admitted Refugees

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness has issued a statement expressing deep concern over reports of detained refugees who have been lawfully admitted to the United States. The office emphasizes that families who have already been welcomed into safety and passed extensive screening should not be uprooted again, separated from the communities supporting them, or made to live under renewed fear and uncertainty. Scripture calls for welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable, and the office believes the nation must uphold justice, compassion, and the rule of law for its newest neighbors.

On January 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Operation “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” (PARRIS), which reopens and intensively re-examines certain refugee cases after resettlement. The operation’s initial focus is reported to be approximately 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who remain in refugee status while awaiting green cards. Refugee-serving organizations have reported that refugees, including children, have been detained, with limited public information about the standards being applied, the scope of enforcement, or the due process protections available.

This action is not a routine administrative review but a sweeping measure that undermines the promise of protection the United States makes when it resettles refugees. Detaining people who are here legally is unjust, and it is especially cruel to subject families to detention and secrecy after they have already survived persecution and displacement. The operation risks communicating to the world and to refugee communities that the United States will not honor the protection it has promised.

These actions reflect a troubling shift toward a refugee policy shaped more by suspicion than by compassion, weakening the moral credibility of the nation’s commitment to welcome those who have fled persecution. The United States has made binding commitments under international law to protect refugees, and this operation contradicts those commitments.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has consistently affirmed the call to welcome refugees, support their resettlement, seek family reunification, and oppose policies that undermine these efforts. The Office of Public Witness reiterates this stance, urging the nation to uphold its promises and to act with integrity and compassion.

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