WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to revoke the temporary legal status of more than 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the United States following Russia’s invasion of their country, according to a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter.
The move, expected as early as April, marks a significant shift from the welcoming stance adopted during former President Joe Biden’s administration. The decision to roll back protections for Ukrainians was reportedly in motion even before Trump’s recent public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
This action is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strip legal status from over 1.8 million migrants who entered the US under temporary humanitarian parole programs initiated under Biden.
A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tricia McLaughlin, stated that the department had no announcements to make at this time. The White House and the Ukrainian embassy did not respond to requests for comment.
On January 20, Trump issued an executive order directing DHS to “terminate all categorical parole programs.” The administration also plans to revoke parole for approximately 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela as soon as this month, according to the Trump official and one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Migrants who lose their parole status could face expedited deportation proceedings, as outlined in an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) email reviewed by Reuters. While migrants who cross the border illegally can be placed into fast-track deportation processes within two years of entry, those who entered through legal ports of entry without formal admission—such as parolees—face no time limit for rapid removal.
The Biden-era programs were designed to create temporary legal pathways to deter illegal immigration and provide humanitarian relief. In addition to the 240,000 Ukrainians, these programs covered over 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, as well as more than 70,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Another 1 million migrants scheduled legal border crossings using the CBP One app, while thousands more accessed smaller programs, including family reunification parole for individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
As a presidential candidate, Trump vowed to end these programs, arguing they exceeded the bounds of US law. Last month, his administration paused processing immigration applications for individuals who entered under certain Biden parole programs, leaving many, including Ukrainian Liana Avetisian and her family, in limbo.
Avetisian, who fled Kyiv in May 2023 and now resides in DeWitt, Iowa, expressed her anxiety over the uncertainty. “We don’t know what to do,” she said, noting that her family’s parole and work permits expire in May.
The crackdown has also affected US allies from Afghanistan. Rafi, a former Afghan intelligence officer who worked alongside American troops, entered the US legally in January 2024 using the CBP One app. His temporary humanitarian parole status was revoked during a routine ICE check-in in February, leaving him detained and feeling betrayed.
“When someone stands shoulder to shoulder with American troops and puts his life in danger […] I wasn’t expecting this behavior from them,” Rafi said in a phone call from detention.
Despite his lawyer’s efforts to secure his release, citing his lack of a criminal record and active asylum case, ICE declined, stating that the priorities referenced in her email “ended on January 20, 2025,” the date of Trump’s inauguration.
The Trump administration’s actions reflect a stark departure from previous policies, leaving thousands of migrants and refugees in precarious situations.
