Sahan Journal: DHS Interim Rule Cuts Refugees' Window to Answer Termination Notices From 30 Days to 10; Minnesota Attorneys Say Response Is Now Impossible

Sahan Journal reported that a new interim rule posted by the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday shortened to 10 days the window refugees have to respond to a notice of intent to terminate their refugee status, which had previously been 30 days. The rule cites national security. A USCIS spokesman said in a statement to Sahan Journal that the rule is an attempt to accelerate terminations of refugee status. A supervising attorney at the International Institute of Minnesota said the new rule makes it impossible to respond in time, because attorneys usually need a FOIA request returned before answering and those requests will not arrive within the shortened window.

Attorneys say the notices are a continuation of Operation PARRIS and that hundreds of refugees in Minnesota are potentially affected. An International Refugee Assistance Project attorney said the government has not abandoned its desire to pursue the effort nationwide but cannot currently because of the court order. The rule’s text was not fetched from the Federal Register for this entry, so its terms and effective date rest on this one outlet’s reporting.