Trump Administration Plans to Revoke Legal Status for Ukrainian Refugees and Others, Raising Deportation Fears
WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) – The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to revoke the temporary legal status granted to approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who fled their homeland following the outbreak of conflict with Russia. This move, according to a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter, could potentially place these individuals on a fast track to deportation.
The anticipated policy shift, expected to be implemented as early as April, would represent a dramatic reversal of the welcoming stance adopted towards Ukrainians under the administration of President Joe Biden. The sources indicate that the planned rollback of protections for Ukrainians predates the recent public dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This initiative is reportedly part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strip legal status from more than 1.8 million migrants who were permitted to enter the United States under temporary humanitarian parole programs initiated during Biden’s tenure.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stated that the department had no announcements to make at this time. The White House and the Ukrainian embassy have not yet responded to requests for comment.
An executive order issued by Trump on January 20 called for DHS to terminate all categorical parole programs. The administration intends to revoke parole for approximately 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans as early as this month, according to the Trump official and one of the sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The initial report on the plan to revoke parole for these nationalities was published by CBS News.
Migrants who are stripped of their parole status could face expedited deportation proceedings, as outlined in an internal email from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that was reviewed by Reuters.
The ICE email indicates that immigrants who cross the border illegally can be placed into the fast-track deportation process, known as expedited removal, for up to two years after their entry. However, those who entered through legal ports of entry without being formally admitted to the U.S., such as those on parole, face no time limit on their rapid removal.
The Biden administration’s programs were designed as part of a larger strategy to create temporary legal pathways to deter illegal immigration and provide humanitarian relief.
In addition to the 240,000 Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion and the 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, these programs extended coverage to more than 70,000 Afghans who sought refuge from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Furthermore, an additional 1 million migrants scheduled appointments to cross at a legal border crossing using an app called CBP One. Thousands more had access to smaller programs, including family reunification parole for certain individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
As a presidential candidate, Trump pledged to dismantle the Biden administration’s programs, arguing that they exceeded the bounds of U.S. law.
The Trump administration last month paused processing immigration-related applications for individuals who entered the U.S. under certain Biden parole programs, leaving Ukrainian national Liana Avetisian, her husband, and her 14-year-old daughter in a state of uncertainty. Avetisian, who previously worked in real estate in Ukraine, now assembles windows, while her husband is employed in construction.
The family fled Kyiv in May 2023 and eventually purchased a home in DeWitt, Iowa. Their parole and work permits are set to expire in May. They report having spent approximately $4,000 in filing fees to renew their parole and to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Avetisian expresses growing anxiety about their situation, stating, "We don’t know what to do."
Diminishing Welcome
U.S. allies from Afghanistan who entered the country under the Biden administration have also been affected by Trump’s crackdown.
Rafi, a former Afghan intelligence officer who requested to be identified only by his first name for the safety of family members still in Afghanistan, entered the U.S. legally in January 2024 using the CBP One mobile app at the U.S.-Mexico border. He was granted temporary humanitarian parole status, allowing him to live and work in the United States for two years.
On February 13, just over a year into his status, he was detained at a check-in appointment at an ICE office in Chantilly, Virginia. His status was revoked.
During his time in Afghanistan, Rafi received training from American officers and provided intelligence on "High Value Targets," according to an October 2022 letter of recommendation.
"As a result of his active efforts against the enemy, he is currently in extreme danger, and in need of assistance in departing the country," wrote the former CIA officer who trained him. The officer described Rafi as "truly one of the most dedicated and hardworking individuals I had the honor to serve with in Afghanistan." Reuters reviewed the letter but was unable to contact the officer.
Rafi applied for asylum in the United States and was scheduled to appear before an immigration judge in April.
At his February ICE check-in, a condition of his temporary status, he was asked to remove his belt and shoelaces, he said. He immediately understood what was happening, but still asked, "Are you arresting me? I have broken no law."
Rafi expressed a sense of betrayal, stating, "When someone stands shoulder to shoulder with American troops and puts his life in danger…" he said in a phone call from detention, his voice trembling. "I wasn’t expecting this behavior from them. I wasn’t expecting it."
On February 24, his lawyer wrote to ICE requesting her client’s release, emphasizing his lack of a criminal record, his lack of flight risk, and his active asylum case related to his support of the U.S. military in Afghanistan.
James Mullan, the assistant field office director at ICE’s Washington field office, responded that ICE was declining to release him.
"The priorities that you mentioned in your email ended on January 20, 2025," Mullan wrote, referring to the date of Trump’s inauguration.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Mary Milliken and Suzanne Goldenberg)
