Refugees Unjustly Detained. 4,400 Families Served by World Relief are at Risk.
On January 15, 2026, Matthew Soerens, Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, shared important information about the unjust detainment of legally admitted refugee families — who is being targeted, how families are being separated, and why it must stop.
What happened:
Federal immigration agents detained dozens of lawfully present refugees, including children, in Minnesota on the second weekend of January. The agents, some dressed in plain clothes, lured refugees out of their homes and transported them to holding facilities. Many were then transferred out of the state.
This escalation threatens hundreds of thousands of refugees in the U.S., including over 17,000 refugees — 4,400 families — served by World Relief. We urgently need your help as we mobilize to protect them.
Donate now to help these families stay, and to stay together. Your generosity helps to provide:
- Urgent Immigration Legal Services to protect due process and family unity
- Emergency rental assistance to prevent homelessness when a working adult has been detained
- Food support for families that in which a working adult is in custody
- Flexible cash assistance when adults are unable to work due to fear of detention
- Psychological care and trauma-informed support