Trump administration expands ICE authority to detain refugees

The Trump administration has given immigration officers broader powers to detain legal refugees awaiting a green card to ensure they are "re-vetted," an apparent expansion of the president's wide-ranging crackdown on legal and illegal immigration, according to a government memo.



The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a memo dated February 18 and submitted in a federal court filing, said refugees must return to government custody for "inspection and examination" a year after their admission into the United States.



"This detain-and-inspect requirement ensures that refugees are re-vetted after one year, aligns post-admission vetting with that applied to other applicants for admission, and promotes public safety," the department said in the memo.



Under U.S. law , refugees must apply for lawful permanent resident status one year after their arrival in the country. The new memo authorizes immigration authorities to detain individuals for the duration of the re-inspection process.



The new policy is a shift from the earlier 2010 memorandum, which stated that failure to obtain lawful permanent resident status was not a "basis" for removal from the country and not a "proper basis" for detention.