Pittsburgh-area refugees, advocates prepare for Minnesota-style detentions

The Trump administration's Operation PARRIS aims to detain refugees who haven't reached permanent residency. It's stalled in court, but area agencies are preparing refugees with an app that shares emergency instructions.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 8:06am

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The Trump administration's Operation PARRIS, a sweeping initiative to re-vet thousands of refugees through new background checks, reinterviews and merit reviews of refugee claims, has led to the detention of over 100 refugees in Minnesota. While the operation has been temporarily halted by a federal court, refugee resettlement agencies in the Pittsburgh area are preparing vulnerable families for the possibility of detentions and deportations by briefing clients, teaching them how to use an emergency alert app, and facilitating access to pro bono legal representation.

Why it matters

The PARRIS operation has stunned lawfully resettled refugees who thought they were finally free and safe after escaping violence and persecution in their home countries. It's seen as a betrayal by the U.S. government, which had promised to keep them safe. The threat of detainment and deportation, which could be a death sentence for some, has spread fear through Pittsburgh's refugee communities.

The details

Operation PARRIS, announced by USCIS in January 2026, is a Trump administration initiative to re-vet thousands of refugees who haven't yet obtained their green cards, which refugees are required to do within one year of arriving in the country. The operation was piloted in Minnesota, where more than 100 refugees from about a dozen countries were arrested and flown to detention centers in Texas for interviews, despite having no criminal records. Experts say DHS wants to expand PARRIS to other states, which could affect some refugees in the Pittsburgh region.

  • In January 2026, USCIS announced Operation PARRIS.
  • In January 2026, over 100 refugees were arrested and detained in Minnesota under PARRIS.
  • On February 27, 2026, a federal judge in Minnesota partly granted a preliminary injunction that bars the administration from arresting and detaining lawfully resettled refugees under PARRIS while litigation continues.

The players

Operation PARRIS

A sweeping Trump administration initiative to re-vet thousands of refugees through new background checks, reinterviews and merit reviews of refugee claims.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

The government agency that announced and is implementing Operation PARRIS.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The department that oversees USCIS and is seeking to expand the PARRIS operation to other states.

Dana Gold

The COO of Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), one of the four refugee resettlement agencies in the Pittsburgh region.

Jackie Martinez

A Pittsburgh-based immigration attorney who represents refugees.

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What they’re saying

“They're shocked, right? They're thinking, 'I went through years in a refugee camp, I went through so much vetting, I went to cultural orientation classes … and when I got here, I was finally free. I was going to be able to contribute and build a life here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.'”

— Dana Gold, COO of Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) (Pittsburgh's Public Source)

“You have no clue. Try walking a mile in their shoes to know what they're going through.”

— Jackie Martinez, Pittsburgh-based immigration attorney (Pittsburgh's Public Source)

What’s next

The judge in the Minnesota federal court case will continue to consider the legality of Operation PARRIS as the litigation proceeds.

The takeaway

This case highlights the trauma and uncertainty facing lawfully resettled refugees in the Pittsburgh region and across the country, as the Trump administration's crackdown on refugee status threatens to undermine the promise of safety and freedom that brought them to the United States in the first place.