Trump plans to revoke legal status for Ukrainians fleeing war to US - Reuters
Illustrative photo: The US is planning to deprive some Ukrainians of their legal status (Getty Images)
The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to revoke the temporary legal status of about 240,000 Ukrainians who found refuge in the US fleeing from war. This could potentially lead to their deportation, Reuters reports.
According to the media resource, this move could be made by the US as early as April. However, the rollback of protection for Ukrainians began before President Donald Trump had an argument with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.
Sources say this is part of the Trump administration's efforts to strip the legal status from over 1.8 million migrants who were allowed to enter the US under temporary humanitarian programs initiated during Biden's presidency.
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin stated that the department currently has no announcements. The White House and the Ukrainian embassy did not respond to Reuters' requests.
However, migrants could face fast-track deportation proceedings, according to an internal email from ICE, which Reuters reviewed.
In particular, the programs covered up to 240,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, as well as 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, and over 70,000 Afghans.
Trump and fight against migrants
Donald Trump declared a state of emergency at the US-Mexico border during the early hours of his presidency. He also ended the automatic granting of US citizenship to anyone born in the country. The US Department of Homeland Security also suspended programs that allowed immigrants to stay temporarily in the US.
At the end of February, the Trump administration suspended the consideration of all immigration applications submitted by citizens from Latin America and Ukraine who were allowed to enter under programs from former President Joe Biden's time. The proponents cited fraud and security concerns.
Furthermore, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the suspension of the Uniting for Ukraine program for Ukrainian citizens fleeing Russia's large-scale aggression.
