US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to revoke temporary legal status for 240k Ukrainians who fled the war in Russia, Reuters reported, citing a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter, as reported by Newsweek.
According to Reuters, the withdrawal is expected as soon as April in 2025 and could potentially lead to their swift repatriation. The publication said the plans are the subject of heated debate in President Donald Trump’s Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Newsweek, they are part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to roll back protections extended to the roughly 1.8 million immigrants allowed into the United States under President Joe Biden (former president).
Why It Matters
If the plan is confirmed, it would mark a striking reversal from President Joe Biden’s welcome to thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war-torn region after the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In his first week in office as president, Trump has succeeded in implementing his hardline immigration promises and has shown no signs of delay. By signing a total of ten executive orders, Trump has set a goal, which is to increase border security and speed up mass deportations. While some of the measures in Trump’s executive order went into effect immediately, others have already been the subject of intense legal challenges.
Meanwhile, a New York Times and Ipsos poll from January 2 to 10 found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such a plan. Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agree that the immigration system is not working properly.
After taking office, President Trump issued an executive order on January 20 directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “terminate all classified parole programs,” signaling a major shift in US immigration policy.
Legal Challenges to Humanitarian Parole for Immigrants in the United States
According to Newsweek, a group of American citizens and immigrants is suing the Trump administration over its decision to eliminate a longstanding legal process used by presidents to grant temporary entry to people fleeing war and political upheaval.
A lawsuit filed Friday seeks to reinstate the special entry parole program, which has allowed 875,000 immigrants from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the United States under the auspices of legal residents.
What Happens Next?
There are likely to be many more legal challenges and political opposition to the administration’s broader immigration crackdown.
Also Read: The impact of illegal immigration across developed countries, including the United States
