An American flag is raised off a cyclo as it glides past the Denver City/County Building, illuminated in yellow and blue in support of Ukraine on Monday. Colorado’s Capitol Building will also be illuminated in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine.
David Zalubowski / AP
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David Zalubowski / AP
An American flag is raised off a cyclo as it glides past the Denver City/County Building, illuminated in yellow and blue in support of Ukraine on Monday. Colorado’s Capitol Building will also be illuminated in blue and yellow in support of Ukraine.
David Zalubowski / AP
The Biden administration will grant temporary protection from deportation to tens of thousands of Ukrainians currently living in the US
The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it has designated Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. That would allow an estimated 30,000 Ukrainians people who are temporarily living or studying in the US to stay and work legally for 18 months.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: “Russia’s unprovoked and targeted attack on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing war, senseless violence and forced Ukrainians to seek refuge. in other countries,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “During these exceptional times, we will continue to support and protect Ukrainian citizens in the United States.”
The White House has come under growing pressure from immigrant advocates and lawmakers not to deport Ukrainians back to a war-torn country. Earlier this week, dozens of senators signed letter urged the Biden administration to designate Ukraine for TPS – and asked the administration not to force Ukrainians to “return to a war zone.”
Senator Robert Menendez, DN.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised the move.
“Ensuring that the approximately 30,000 Ukrainians in the United States can receive the protection they deserve, and have the opportunity to work and live in the United States without fear of returning to a besieged country, is absolutely the right and ethical thing to do,” Menendez said in a statement.
TPS will only be issued to Ukrainians who were in the US on March 1, according to DHS. That means it will not apply to the more than a million Ukrainians who have fled for asylum in neighboring European countries since the Russian invasion began.
TPS aims to protect citizens from countries where armed conflict or natural disasters make it unsafe. It does not provide a pathway to permanent residency.
But critics say the program has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to stay in the US indefinitely while TPS is extended – and warn that this time will be no different.
Immigrant advocates hailed the move – and called on the US to do more for Ukrainian refugees.
“Protecting Ukrainian families from deportation is the least we can do in light of Russia’s massive attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO Executive director of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugees Authority, said in a statement.
Ali Noorani, head of the National Immigration Forum, said: The decision to issue TPS to Ukrainians is “an important move that speaks to our history as a safe haven for those who are facing a crisis.” with oppression”. But at the same time, Noorani called on the authorities to “prioritize rebuilding our infrastructure and resettlement capacity for refugees, to continue our legacy as a welcome beacon of democracy.”
