Federal Judge Blocks DHS Policy to Reconsider Legal Status for Minnesota Refugees

The ruling responds to a class action request to block implementation of the policy for Minnesota’s roughly 5,600 lawful refugees.

People hold a banner during a demonstration against the presence of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 28, 2026. Seth Herald/Reuters

A federal judge on Jan. 28 blocked a Trump administration policy initiative to reconsider the legal status of the roughly 5,600 lawful refugees living in Minnesota.

In a court order, Judge John Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota temporarily granted a class action request to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy initiative dubbed “Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening.”