A federal judge in Minnesota on Wednesday blocked the Department of Homeland Security from arresting or detaining refugees while the department reviews their cases, claiming the migrants had "followed the rules" in seeking asylum. 

The department announced earlier this month that it was reviewing the cases of 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who had not formally received a green card as a part of its crackdown on fraud in immigrant communities.

U.S. District Judge John Tunheim told the Trump administration that the arrests did not make sense because none of them were charged with grounds for removal. He ordered the immediate release of the detained and arrested refugees.

“These refugees have undergone rigorous background checks and vetting, been approved by multiple federal agencies for entry, been given permission to work, received support from the government, and been resettled in the United States,” he wrote, according to the Washington Times. “None have been deemed a danger to the community or a flight risk."

Tunheim also barred the administration from arresting or detaining future refugees.

The department has defended its policy by referencing immigration law that says a year after a refugee has been admitted, they are to undergo a second round of vetting. However, some of the refugees had already been in the country past the one-year mark and the judge noted that the policy was to wait to arrest the person until it had decided to remove them.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.