FOIA: Releasing records on Operation PARRIS

IRAP filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) challenging their refusal to respond to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking disclosure of their implementation of “Operation Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and Integrity Strengthening” (“Operation PARRIS”) in Minnesota. On Friday, January 9, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would be targeting for investigation up to 5,600 lawfully admitted refugees residing in Minnesota through a campaign called Operation PARRIS. 

Background

In March 2025, IRAP submitted FOIA Requests with all these agencies seeking information on the government’s refugee revetting and detention policies in Minnesota. IRAP requested expedited processing of the requests given the urgent public significance, but the agencies either denied expedition or simply did not respond to the requests in a timely and substantive manner. 

Impact

This case seeks to compel DHS, USCIS, and ICE to release information on how they are implementing this memorandum. The requested records concern ongoing government practices affecting the more than 200,000 refugees who entered the United States during the Biden Administration, many of whom have not yet obtained green cards. The requested records are necessary for IRAP to understand how Defendants are implementing these standards and policies regarding refugee revetting and detention in order to effectively represent individuals affected by these processes. 

Case status

• May 14, 2026: Complaint is filed in in the Southern District of New York District Court.

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is co-counsel in this case.