February 19, 2026policy changeImmigration PolicyCivil LibertiesRefugee Policyimmigrationrefugeescivil rights

DHS memo claims authority to detain legal refugees without green cards

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow jointly issued a memo on February 18, 2026, directing immigration agents to arrest and detain refugees who had been lawfully admitted to the United States but had not yet applied for permanent residency after one year. The memo ordered indefinite re-vetting detention for tens of thousands of refugees who entered during the Biden administration, upending decades of refugee resettlement practice without individualized cause or evidence of fraud.

Sources

Refugees in the U.S. could be arrested under a new immigration memo In Newly Released Memo, DHS Claims Authority to Detain Refugees Who Have Not Applied for Green Cards After a Year New DHS order could lead to detention of thousands of legal refugees in the U.S.