This article was last updated April 15, 2026

Summary

On November 21, 2025, the United States government announced that it would be reviewing the cases of all refugees who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025. This includes refugees who now have green cards, and those who have applied for green cards and are still waiting for a decision.

In early January 2026, the U.S. government began conducting “revetting interviews” for certain refugees in Minnesota who do not yet have green cards. Some of these interviews have happened in ICE detention after ICE officers arrested refugees and held them in immigration jail. Other interviews have happened after refugees received appointment notices telling them to come to the USCIS office for a scheduled interview.

On February 18, 2026, the U.S. government also announced that refugees without green cards who do not attend their scheduled revetting interviews may be arrested and detained for an unknown period of time. Read here for more information about how to prepare yourself for immigration detention.

What is “refugee revetting”?

On November 21, 2025, the U.S. government issued a new policy that affects all refugees who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025. It may also impact refugees who entered outside that time frame as well. According to this policy:

• All ongoing adjustment of status (or green card) applications for refugees who entered during this time period are now paused.
• All refugees who entered during this time period will have their cases reviewed again. The purpose of this review is to confirm these individuals were correctly given refugee status.
• Some refugees who entered during this time period may be required to attend a re-interview, even though they were already interviewed before entering the United States.
• Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who entered as refugees during this time period will also have their cases reviewed again and may be required to attend re-interviews.

In early January 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began targeting refugees in Minnesota for detention and conducting “revetting interviews” while they were held in immigration jails in Minnesota and Texas. A few weeks later, government officials also began sending appointment notices to refugees in Minnesota telling them to attend “revetting interviews” at the USCIS office in their area.

If you are a refugee who entered the United States between January 21, 2021 and February 20, 2025, and you have questions about how this policy affects you, you should contact an immigration lawyer for individual advice.

What happens in a refugee revetting interview?

In a “refugee revetting” interview, USCIS officers will ask you questions about your identity, your original refugee case, and other information about your immigration case. Many of these questions will be similar to those that you already answered in your original interview with U.S. immigration officials before you entered the United States. 

The purpose of this interview is to confirm that the government correctly approved your refugee status after your original interview. They may ask you many questions about why you left your home country or why you were afraid to return there at the time of your original interview. You should answer carefully and honestly, just as you did in your original interview(s).

If you do not speak English and do not bring a qualified interpreter to your appointment, the government will provide an interpreter over the phone.

If you have an attorney or legal representative, they can come with you to the interview. Their primary role in the interview will be to observe and take notes, but they will also be able to speak directly to the officer if there are issues or problems in your interview.

What if I am scheduled for a green card application interview?

Beginning in late February 2026, USCIS officers have started asking the same revetting questions about people’s original refugee applications during green card application interviews as well. If you are scheduled for a green card application interview, you should attend the interview and prepare to answer questions related to your original refugee application as well.

What to know about re-vetting interviews in ICE detention

If you have refugee status and are detained by ICE, it is possible the government will try to do a refugee revetting interview while you are detained. If you have a lawyer, you should insist that the lawyer be allowed to be in the revetting interview. The government can call your lawyer if you know their phone number and have them participate over the phone.

For more information about what to do if you have refugee status and you are detained by ICE, click here.

I am a refugee in Minnesota. Is there anything else I should know?

In January 2026, ICE began detaining refugees who do not have green cards in Minnesota. In response to this, a court in Minnesota issued two orders saying ICE cannot detain refugees in Minnesota just because they have not yet adjusted status (gotten green cards). Then, the government announced that it would try to detain refugees just because they do not have green cards all over the country. Another court in Massachusetts ordered that the U.S. government cannot implement this refugee detention policy anywhere. 

Now, the case in Minnesota has been dismissed. This means there is not a court order just about refugee detention in Minnesota anymore. It is very important to know that the court order in Massachusetts stops the policy everywhere, including in Minnesota. Therefore, refugees in Minnesota are still protected from detention if they have not yet received their green cards.

It is very important to be aware of your rights, including those described in this article. If you were helped by a resettlement agency when you arrived, it could be helpful to reach out to them now for additional local information.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is sending interview notices to many refugees in Minnesota telling them to report to the USCIS building for a “PARRIS Interview” and/or for a “Post-Admission Refugee Reverification and I-485 Interview.” USCIS does have the authority to require refugees who have applied for green cards (lawful permanent residence) to appear for interviews. If you do not attend these interviews your green card application will likely be denied and you may receive a notice saying the government plans to take away your refugee status. We expect that at this interview you will be asked about the details of your refugee claim and about your application for a green card.

If you received one of these notices, it’s very helpful to get a lawyer’s advice and to bring a lawyer to the interview.  It can take time to find a lawyer, so we recommend reaching out to the resettlement agency that helped you as soon as you receive a notice about an interview. 

Additional information and resources

• Know Your Rights: What to Do if You Are Arrested or Detained by Immigration (National Immigration Law Center) 
• Know Your Rights: What to Do If You or a Loved One Is Detained (National Immigrant Justice Center)