Trump to Set Up Thousands of Ukrainian Asylum Seekers for
240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russian invasion and entered the US under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program will have their legal status revoked as soon as April. Latin Times

The Trump administration is preparing to revoke temporary legal status for approximately 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled Russia's invasion, placing them at risk for fast-track deportation.

Expected as early as April, the move—reported by Reuters—aligns with a broader effort by the administration to dismantle Biden-era humanitarian parole programs, which have granted legal entry to more than 1.8 million migrants.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for DHS to "terminate all categorical parole programs" on his first day back in office, initiating the removal of legal protection for Ukrainian asylum seekers well before the public fallout between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The administration also plans to revoke parole for 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans this month, according to a CBS report.

While White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that a decision has been finalized, an internal ICE email viewed by Reuters suggests that those stripped of parole could face expedited removal, with no time limit on their deportation proceedings.

Ukrainian Liana Avetisian fled Kyiv with her husband and daughter to settle in Iowa in 2023. When their parole and work permits expire in May, they will be left in legal limbo. Avetisian told Reuters they've spent roughly $4,000 in filing fees attempting to renew their parole or obtain Temporary Protected Status. "We don't know what to do," she said.

As the Trump administration works to fulfill promises to curb immigration, new policies leave thousands of vulnerable legal migrants scrambling to evade imminent deportation.

Originally published on Latin Times

Ukraine Immigration