US immigration uncertainty leaves thousands of Ukrainians at risk
Support for Ukrainian refugees in the US is declining (photo: Getty Images)
With the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians left for the US under humanitarian programs. But in early 2025, some of them found themselves in a state of legal uncertainty and even at risk of deportation, according to RBC-Ukraine's report.
Read also: European authorities approve key measure benefiting Ukrainian refugees
What happened after US administration change
During Biden's presidency, the US had a program called Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) — a humanitarian passport that allowed about 240,000 Ukrainians to legally enter the country. In addition, over 101,000 received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was extended until October 2026.
However, after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the policy changed dramatically, says Daria Mykhailyshina, a postdoctoral fellow at the Kyiv School of Economics, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"With Trump's arrival in January 2025, the U4U program was suspended for new applicants. The processing of humanitarian parole extensions was frozen between February and June 2025, and those who arrived after August 16, 2023, lost their right to TPS. About 260,000 Ukrainians in the US are now in legal limbo (complete legal uncertainty – ed.), many of them with frozen work and study permits and a real threat of deportation," she says.
According to the expert, these are people who entered the US legally, did not violate immigration laws, but due to this change, found themselves without a clearly defined legal status in the country.
Deportation risk is real, says expert
Daria draws particular attention to the activities of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) – the immigration police.
"Under Trump, it has become a tool for mass deportations. Such deportations also threaten Ukrainians. Recently, for example, a Ukrainian who had not violated immigration laws was detained," Mykhailyshyna emphasizes.
Thus, according to the expert's estimates, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are in a state of uncertainty: without confidence in the renewal of their work or study permits, and with the real threat of forced deportation.
Benefits for Ukrainian refugees are also being gradually cut in European Union countries. Some EU countries have significantly reduced assistance to Ukrainians.
