Chicago – March 23, 2026
A U.S. federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy that would allow the detention of thousands of refugees who have not yet obtained green cards after one year in the country.
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston issued the ruling on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the request of six refugees and two advocacy groups. The plaintiffs argued that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) policy marked an unlawful departure from decades-old practices, putting over 100,000 legally admitted refugees at risk of arrest while their status adjustment applications pend with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Steven Bressler, an attorney with Democracy Forward representing the plaintiffs, hailed the decision as confirmation that the government “cannot twist the law to rationalize the mass arrest and detention of individuals.” The policy emerged under “Operation PARRIS,” DHS’s initiative to re-examine thousands of refugee cases announced in January.
DHS has not yet commented on the ruling, which temporarily prevents enforcement pending further litigation. This comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to tighten immigration controls, including refugee status reviews in states like Minnesota.
