US expands ICE authority to detain refugees

Cambodian national dies in detention

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A drone picture shows a warehouse purchased by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which is expected to be converted to an ICE detention facility in Social Circle, Georgia, US, on Wednesday. REUTERS

(REUTERS)

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 US Department of Homeland Security, in a memo dated Wednesday 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 US law, refugees must apply for lawful permanent resident status one year after their arrival in the country.

The new memo authorises immigration authorities to detain individuals for the duration of the re-inspection process.