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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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The Trump administration is preparing to revoke temporary legal status for approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, according to Reuters.
The decision, anticipated as early as April, would mark a dramatic shift from the reception Ukrainians experienced under former President Joe Biden's administration.
The White House directed Newsweek to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denying the reports: "This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about. The truth: no decision has been made at this time."
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Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump quickly moved to enact his tough immigration pledges. He signed 10 executive orders, initiating a broad agenda focused on increasing border security and speeding up mass deportations. Some of these measures were implemented immediately, while others faced significant legal challenges.
On January 20, Trump issued an executive order instructing the DHS to "terminate all categorical parole programs," marking a significant change in U.S. immigration policy.
What To Know
The Trump administration was reportedly moving forward with plans to revoke protections for Ukrainians before Trump's White House clash with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A tense Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensky on a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal spiraled into a heated confrontation, sparking global criticism.
Trump and Vance scolded Zelensky for what they saw as a lack of gratitude for U.S. aid. The meeting, widely regarded as a diplomatic misstep, fueled concerns about America's commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
The latest reports are another sign of worsening United States-Ukraine relations.
This rollback is part of a broader effort to dismantle Biden-era humanitarian parole programs, which granted temporary legal status to over 1.8 million migrants, sources told Reuters.
Experts told Newsweek that revoking of humanitarian parole status would be unprecedented.
The administration intends to revoke parole for approximately 530,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela as early as this month, according to a Trump official and a source familiar with the matter, who spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.
After the administration rolled back Temporary Protected Status (TPS) on Haitian immigrants, a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek: "We are returning integrity to the TPS system, which has been abused and exploited by illegal aliens for decades. President Trump and Secretary [of Homeland Security Kristi] Noem are returning TPS to its original status: temporary."
How Quickly Could They Be Deported?
According to an internal ICE email reviewed by Reuters, migrants who lose their parole status may be subject to expedited deportation proceedings.
Expedited removal is a process that allows immigration authorities to remove certain immigrants without legal status from the country without a formal hearing before an immigration judge. It is intended to streamline the removal of individuals deemed inadmissible under specific grounds, primarily for lacking proper documentation or for using fraudulent means to enter the country.
Is Trump Allowed to Deport Them Back to a Country at War?
The U.S. generally avoids deporting individuals to countries engaged in active conflict. Deportations to Ukraine would be legally and politically complex, potentially depending on individual circumstances.
Amelia Wilson, a law professor at Pace University, told Newsweek: "The U.S. has long deported individuals to countries experiencing instability, natural calamity, war, even genocide—and unfortunately for Ukrainians, the outcome will likely be no different.
"Deportation is only off the table if the U.S. entirely lacks diplomatic relations with a nation state, or where a specific individual can establish that they will experience persecution or torture for reasons that are unique to them."
AnnaMarie Bena, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) senior vice president, told Newsweek: "In creating the U4U program, the United States noted that a humanitarian parole process was needed for Ukrainians who are fleeing civilian area destruction, food insecurity, lack of health care, continuing violence, and large-scale displacement.
"All of these conditions still exist today. Over 6.9 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, and over 3.6 million people are internally displaced. Women and girls make up the majority of refugees, at 63 percent globally."
Bena added: "If the administration were to revoke parole status for U4U humanitarian parolees, they would be stripping protections for women who have endured war and who have overcome gender inequalities to find protection for themselves and their families in the United States."
What Is the Process of Stripping Legal Status?
Terminating TPS in the United States involves a multistep process initiated by the Secretary of Homeland Security. First, the secretary assesses conditions in the designated country to determine if TPS is still warranted. If deemed unnecessary, an official termination notice is published in the Federal Register, specifying the effective date and providing a transition period for beneficiaries.
During this period, typically 6 to 18 months, TPS recipients are expected to prepare for departure or seek alternative legal statuses. Once the transition period concludes, individuals revert to their prior immigration status and may face deportation if they lack lawful residency.
For instance, on February 1, 2025, Noem announced the termination of Venezuela's TPS designation, with protections set to end on April 7, 2025. Such termination decisions can be subject to legal challenges, potentially impacting their implementation.
"Temporary Protective Status (TPS) is created—and taken away—by executive action. If the Trump administration succeeds in terminating TPS for Ukrainians, many will become 'undocumented' in the blink of an eye," Wilson told Newsweek.
"This means that their legal right to work and remain in the United States will basically be extinguished. Worse still, they could be subject to deportation proceedings. Unless Ukrainians have an independent, non-TPS pathway to remain in the country, their legal status seems grim."
USCRI's Bena said: "Termination of humanitarian parole should be done on a case-by-case basis. The law clearly states that humanitarian parole can be terminated only upon written notice, and full due process rights must be afforded before potential deportation. U4U, like other humanitarian parole programs, serves an important humanitarian interest that this country has observed for decades."
She added: "Mass revocations of humanitarian parole status would be unprecedented. The Administration would expose Ukrainians, who are mostly women and children, to danger, exploitation, and trauma."
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian Liana Avetisian, her husband, and her 14-year-old daughter fled Kyiv in May 2023. They bought a house in DeWitt, Iowa, but are now in limbo. "We don't know what to do," she told Reuters.
USCRI's Bena told Newsweek: "Ukrainians who have fled the war are in the United States under humanitarian parole, which is an immigration category that was created and authorized by Congress. Humanitarian parole allows individuals to enter the United States on a temporary basis due to an urgent humanitarian need.
"When an individual is granted humanitarian parole, they are allowed to be in the United States for a limited period of time. In the case of Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) humanitarian parole, it is two years.
"In 2022, the United States created the U4U program to protect Ukrainians fleeing the war who may not meet the international 'refugee' definition in order to be granted temporary protection due to wartime dangers."
What Happens Next
It remains unknown when the administration will strip away TPS protection on Ukrainian refugees.
Update 3/7/25, 6:18 a.m. ET: This article was updated to attribute quotes to AnnaMarie Bena.
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