World Relief Criticizes ICE Tactics Against Refugees in Minnesota

World Relief's Condemnation of ICE Operations

• 💡 World Relief is strongly criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for what they describe as "aggressive tactics" targeting refugees in Minnesota.
• 📌 These refugees are families who were invited by the US government to rebuild their lives, having fled well-founded fears of persecution based on faith or political opinion.
• ⚠️ ICE officers reportedly showed up at refugee families' doors, sometimes under false pretenses, leading to detentions and transfers to Texas, causing fear of return to their home countries.

"Operation Paris" and Legal Rights

• 🎯 The operation, referred to as "Operation Paris," is described by World Relief as a "five alarm fire," "shameful," and "unpatriotic" for targeting children and families who are lawfully present.
• ⚖️ World Relief is calling for the federal government to stop this operation, respect the legal rights of refugees, and ensure that laws are enforced in humane ways.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The organization highlights that children are being detained, and parents are being picked up on their way to work, leaving children unattended.

Broader Immigration Context and Evangelical Views

• 🚫 World Relief has no objection to ICE detaining and deporting individuals convicted of serious criminal offenses.
• 📊 However, they note that a very small percentage of immigrants detained by ICE have been convicted of violent crimes, and the majority have not been convicted of any crime.
• 🤝 The organization believes it's a mistake to target lawfully present immigrants who have followed all the rules, especially when it leads to family separation and detention of children.
• ✝️ Polling indicates that the majority of evangelical Christians believe the US has a moral responsibility to receive refugees, and they want to see laws enforced humanely, protecting those who do what is right.