DHS Launches Fraud Investigation Into Minnesota Refugee Program

The federal review will focus on post-admission vetting and background checks.

A U.S. flag at a naturalization ceremony in New York City on Aug. 16, 2013. John Moore/Getty Images

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched an investigation in Minnesota, joining other federal agencies that are probing fraudulent use of federal funds in other areas.

The USCIS said on Jan. 9 that the agency, under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), started an operation in Minnesota in mid-December 2025 to reexamine refugee cases that have resulted in immigrants’ settling in the state.