Evangelical Leaders Petition DHS Officials for Immediate Scrutiny in Treatment of Refugees in Minnesota, Deliver Letter Signed by 10,000 Christians from All 50 States 

Faith leaders call for DHS oversight into treatment of most-vetted category of immigrant 

Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255

BALTIMORE, Md. – Today, World Relief sent a letter to White House Border Czar Tom Homan, President Trump, members of Congress and administration officials signed by over 10,000 Christians from all 50 states calling for the cessation of any initiative causing refugees to undergo new interviews to re-verify their status as refugees. As Border Czar Homan assumes control of immigration enforcement activities on the ground in Minnesota, evangelical leaders urge him to immediately investigate and cease “Operation PARRIS” and related interviews of refugees resettled by the previous administration, which began under the direction of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem earlier this month. 

“As a nation, we are at an inflection point in the aftermath of tragedy in the streets of Minneapolis,” commented Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “How we treat ‘the least of these’ is a symptom of the health of the character of our nation. The behavior demonstrated by enforcement agents towards immigrants and U.S. citizens alike over the past weeks and days demonstrates deep sickness. Border Czar Homan and the administration have the opportunity to restore order and rehabilitate the trust that every resident should be able to place in law enforcement, but the work to repair is steep. We ask that he immediately halt Secretary Noem’s Operation PARRIS, and we call on Congressional leaders to include oversight into treatment of refugees in DHS appropriations funding.” 

On Tuesday, World Relief shared a letter in support of lawfully present refugees who, following the release of a DHS memo in November, have been subjected to increased scrutiny for no other reason than that they had been lawfully resettled between 2021 and 2025. Over 10,000 Christians from around the country added their voice to the letter, calling on the administration to cease any initiative to reinterview them. 

Operation PARRIS (Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening), which launched in January, has swept up families (including minor children) and individuals whose green card applications were pending, relocating them to facilities in other states, re-interrogating them, and ejecting them onto the street without the means of returning to their homes across the country. 

Refugees are the most vetted category of immigrant, and before they are invited to participate in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, they must prove a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, political opinion, nationality or membership with a particular group. Once they arrive in the U.S. they are immediately lawfully present with a status that does not expire, and once they have been in the U.S. for a year, they are invited to apply for their green card (Lawful Permanent Resident status). Historically, delays in green card applications have not been cause for repercussions – and, in this case, many delays are the result of DHS suspending processing of refugee green card applications in November 2025. 

“The implementation of ‘Operation PARRIS’ here in Minnesota has been chaotic and inhumane,” said Carl Nelson, president & CEO of Transform Minnesota, a statewide network of evangelical churches. “Some lawfully present refugee families were arrested at their homes or work, while others went willingly when summoned to the DHS office, only to be arrested and transferred to Texas. Some remain in detention, while others have been released there onto the street, having to pay for their own travel back to Minnesota. Churches are rallying to support these families in beautiful ways, but the underlying policy of re-interviewing refugees has been disastrous and should stop immediately.”

While DHS has said the “initial focus” of Operation PARRIS has been on 5,600 refugees who have not yet received their green cards in Minnesota, lawfully resettled refugees in other states also fear that they could eventually be targeted and detained. Earlier this week, several refugees affected by Operation PARRIS filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other administration leaders.

“We lament the suffering and recurring trauma of our immigrant neighbors, including many refugees who have fled violence or persecution and have followed every rule,” commented Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. “These are not the nefarious criminals that we should deport. These are families with children whom our country initially welcomed. As evangelicals, we believe every person bears God’s image and deserves safety, dignity and fair treatment.” 

World Relief will continue to welcome additional signatories to this letter, with the intention of resending to administration and congressional leaders as the number of signatories continues to grow. Individuals are welcome to add their names at worldrelief.org/statementonrefugees.   

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.