The Trump administration is preparing to revoke temporary legal status for more than 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia's invasion, a move that could lead to deportations as early as April, according to a senior administration official and multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The policy shift marks a sharp departure from the approach under President Joe Biden, who created temporary humanitarian parole programs to provide legal pathways for displaced Ukrainians and other migrants. The decision is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back protections for more than 1.8 million migrants who were granted entry under Biden-era initiatives.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, stated that the agency had "no announcements at this time." However, an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) email reviewed by Reuters indicated that Ukrainians losing their parole status could be subject to expedited removal.
Under current immigration law, migrants who entered the U.S. through legal ports of entry under humanitarian parole are not granted formal admission into the country. As a result, they could face deportation without the same legal protections afforded to those who crossed the border illegally, who are subject to expedited removal for only two years after arrival.
The planned revocation comes days after Trump's contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, which highlighted increasing tensions between Washington and Kyiv. While the administration had already been moving to end parole protections for Ukrainian refugees, the timing of the announcement has fueled speculation that the decision is linked to deteriorating relations between the two leaders.
The Biden administration's parole programs were designed to deter illegal border crossings while offering temporary legal status to refugees. In addition to Ukrainians, Biden's policies granted protections to approximately 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, as well as more than 70,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover in 2021. Another 1 million migrants were permitted to enter the U.S. through scheduled border crossings via the CBP One app.
Trump had pledged during his campaign to dismantle Biden's humanitarian parole programs, arguing that they exceeded the legal bounds of executive authority. A January 20 executive order directed the Department of Homeland Security to "terminate all categorical parole programs," signaling a major shift in U.S. immigration policy.
The policy has already prompted legal challenges. A coalition of American citizens and immigrants filed a lawsuit against the administration late last week, arguing that the elimination of parole protections violates legal precedent and threatens the stability of thousands of families who have built lives in the U.S.
Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. now face deep uncertainty. "We don't know what to do," said Liana Avetisian, who fled Kyiv with her husband and 14-year-old daughter in May 2023. The family purchased a home in DeWitt, Iowa, but now fears deportation.
While the administration has not finalized the timeline for revoking legal status, the decision is expected to spark widespread political opposition and additional court battles. Polling suggests that immigration remains a divisive issue among American voters, with a January survey from The New York Times and Ipsos finding that 55% of respondents supported stricter border enforcement measures.
