IRAP Explainer on the DHS’s Mass Arrests, Detention, and Revetting of Refugees

In the Explainer below, IRAP answers questions about the Trump administration’s unlawful arrests and detention of refugees in Minnesota. It also discusses the U.H.A. v. Bondi lawsuit that IRAP, along with co-counsel Berger Montague and the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL) filed to challenge arrests and detentions in Minnesota, and the Jean A. v. Noem lawsuit that IRAP and Democracy Forward filed to challenge DHS’s nationwide policy.

For impacted communities, we recommend consulting and sharing IRAP’s legal information resources on refugee detention and revetting, which include guides in English, Amharic, Arabic, Dari/Farsi, French, Haitian Kreyol, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, and Ukrainian, as well as information on requesting legal assistance.

You can view and download the Explainer here or below.

This resource is intended for a legal practitioner and legal advocacy audience; it is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

This resource was published on January 26, 2026 and last updated on April 14, 2026. It does not reflect any legal changes since last updates. Please see IRAP’s Legal Practitioner Resources pagefor our latest resources and additional information for legal practitioners.

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