Trump's Terms Minnesota refugees, including teenage girl, sue Trump admin over detention
5 snips
Feb 11, 2026 
Matt Sepik, an MPR reporter in Minneapolis who details on-the-ground reporting of the lawsuit and detention conditions. Elsa Chang, an NPR reporter who narrates the refugee detention story and frames the reporting. They discuss a lawsuit alleging illegal arrests of vetted refugees, the incident of a detained Minnesota teenager, claims about hotel detention, and conditions at a regional detention center.
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Operation Paris Targets Vetted Refugees
- The lawsuit targets an operation called Operation Paris that reviewed asylum claims for about 5,600 refugees in Minnesota.
- Plaintiffs say vetted refugees from Africa, Asia, and Latin America were illegally arrested and detained under that sweep.
Teen Detained, Held Overnight With Agents
- A teenage refugee in Minnesota was handcuffed during a traffic stop and taken by ICE agents to a detention center.
- After a court order blocked out-of-state transfer, ICE put her overnight in a hotel room with two female agents before returning her to detention the next day.
Family Warned Picking Up Teen Could Bring Deportation
- The girl's attorney says ICE warned the family that picking her up could trigger deportation of all seven family members to Texas.
- The attorney alleges ICE used the teen as bait to pressure legally present refugees to come in and face removal.