The Trump administration plans to end temporary legal status for Ukrainians in the U.S., according to Reuters. The move is part of Trump’s broader effort to walk back protections extended to migrants allowed to enter the U.S. under former President Joe Biden.
Some migrants could be on a fast track to deportation.
The plan was reportedly already in progress before Trump’s spat with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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The Trump Administration is preparing to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the United States from Russia’s invasion, potentially paving the way for their deportation, Reuters reported, citing a senior Trump official and three other undisclosed sources.
The move would mark a dramatic shift from the support Ukrainians received during President Joe Biden’s administration. It would also threaten to expand the rift between Kyiv and Washington after the U.S. suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
How have Trump’s orders already impacted Ukrainians?
President Trump began rolling back protection for Ukrainians and other refugees days after taking office. The Uniting for Ukraine program, which allowed Ukrainians to stay in the U.S. for up to two years while working and receiving health insurance, was suspended by the end of January.
When will the rollback on Ukrainian legal status start?
The rollback could begin as soon as April. Reuters reported the plan was already in motion before Trump publicly feuded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, Feb. 28, at the White House. It is part of a broader Trump administration effort to remove legal status from more than 1.8 million migrants allowed to enter the U.S. under temporary parole programs launched under the Biden administration.
Neither the White House nor the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have commented on the Reuters report.
What other immigration orders are being implemented?
President Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20 also directed the Department of Homeland Security to terminate all categorical parole programs.
The administration plans to revoke parole for about 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans as soon as this month.
Reuters obtained an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement email saying migrants stripped of their parole status could face fast-track deportation proceedings as soon as March.
