Without immediate policy changes, more and more families risk being sent back to active war zone
Washington, D.C.—As legal protections expire and uncertainty mounts, Americans who have sponsored Ukrainian newcomers through government-authorized humanitarian parole programs are calling on policymakers to extend existing protections to the individuals and families they have welcomed.
President Trump recently signaled he would likely allow Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) beneficiaries who were forced to flee the war in Ukraine to remain in the United States until the war ends. However, this public assurance to reporters has not yet led to a formal policy change and Ukrainian families continue to wait for their applications for temporary renewal to be processed, including for work authorization, so they can support themselves.
Across the country, veterans, faith leaders, business owners, and Americans across the political spectrum are voicing the fear felt by these families who have no safe place to go as bombs continue to drop on their hometowns in Ukraine. From small towns in Iowa to urban Florida communities, sponsors, employers, and community leaders are urging the Trump administration and Congress to use their power to protect these newcomers, allowing them to stay until it is safe to return home.
Brian Snyder (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) on WNCN CBS17: Ukrainians in Triangle hope to stay in U.S. until war ends, but face uncertainty
“‘It really comes down to the work permits,’ [Snyder] said. ‘Many of these folks had to leave it all behind. They have some degree of a safety net, but it’s a very short-term safety net and they want to work.’ [...]
“‘We’ve been very hopeful that the presidential administration (and) that our legislators do see that there is an urgent humanitarian need that there’s a tremendous public benefit that they provide our communities, and I’ve been encouraging folks to be hopeful,’ Snyder said.”
Curtis Lee (Hartsville, South Carolina) on Hearst Television: Ukrainians face uncertain future as legal protections in US expire
“‘This is how Americans treat other people in the world, especially ones that are fleeing war, and I don't want to see any of them have to go back to war,’ said Curtis Lee, a member of ‘Carolinas for Ukraine’ who began sponsoring a Ukrainian family in 2022.
“‘I’m a conservative Republican, and I think we should take a look at these programs. See what works. See what doesn’t. My hope is, when we look at this particular program for the Ukrainians, that we say this is actually the way to do it,’ Lee added.”
John Oswald (Asheville, North Carolina) in The Wall Street Journal: Only Two Companies Make Parachutes for U.S. Troops. Deportations Would Crush One.
“John Oswald, the chief executive of Mills Manufacturing, has dozens of workers from Ukraine, Nicaragua and other countries that are at risk of losing their legal status. The 90-year-old business is one of just two companies left that are qualified to make the MC-6 and the T-11, the main personnel parachutes for the U.S. military.
“‘If we lose these workers, it would be devastating to our business,’ said Oswald, walking around a factory filled with the humming of sewing machines. ‘That puts the rest of the workforce at risk.”’
Sam Hare (Dewitt, Iowa) on the CBS Evening News: Trump administration not renewing work permits for Ukrainian refugees in U.S.
“These people are hard to find and come by. They’ve been through upheaval just to get here and then all of a sudden, what they thought they were building towards is shaken. When people do the right thing and follow the rules, they should be rewarded.”
Kate Fissell (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: From Pittsburgh to Capitol Hill, advocates warn of Ukrainians facing deportation
“‘There’s been so much going on with the war in Ukraine, so much attention on the people coming into the country, that the people who are already here legally are kind of falling through the cracks,’ Ms. Fissell said. [...]
“‘Right now there’s a trickle of people who are losing their [legal status] … by late summer and fall, it’s going to turn into a tsunami,’ she said.”
Bruce and Susan Buhler (Watertown, South Dakota) in South Dakota Searchlight: ‘This is our home’: Ukrainians settled in SD fear they’ll be forced to leave
“Bruce chafes when he thinks about the family being forced out of the country.
“‘It just doesn’t make any sense,’ he said. ‘They’re living their lives, paying taxes, contributing. They’re here legally. Anyone I bring it up to would tell you it’s crazy.’ [...]
“‘They’re kicking people out who are good and hardworking,’ Bruce said. ‘We need as many people in the workforce as we can get.’”
Kathy Gwizdala (Midland, Michigan) in Bridge Michigan: From Ukraine war to a Michigan bakery, ‘newborn Americans’ face uncertainty under Trump
“Kathy Gwizdala and her husband Paul, of Caro, picked up the Pokanevychs at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Sept. 23, 2022. At that time, she recalled them having three suitcases — and many hopes and dreams — to their name. ‘They have so much ahead of them, and the sky’s the limit,’ said Gwizdala, who has Ukrainian heritage and opted to sponsor a family after her shock at the Russian invasion got her thinking about how her family could contribute [...]
“‘There’s politics, and there are people, and that's two different things,’ said Gwizdala, the Caro resident who sponsored the Pokanevych family. ‘When you make a commitment to someone, I think you uphold that commitment … You can stop continuing a program, but you don’t retract a promise made.’”
Angela Boelens (DeWitt, Iowa) in The New York Times: In Deep Red Iowa, Ukrainians Found Home and Community. Now Their Fate Is in Limbo.
“And after the Supreme Court allowed the government to terminate, for now, a similar program for more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, there is growing concern among the Ukrainians that they are next.
“‘We are forcing people to either become illegal or to become a burden on the community, and that doesn’t feel good for these families, and it doesn’t feel good for the community, and it makes absolutely no sense,’ Ms. Boelens said.”
Debbie and Mark Rambis (Palm Coast, Florida) on WESH 2 News: Ukrainian family living in Florida says their future in the United States is uncertain
“The Rambis couple met the Yakovenkos, a family of four fleeing Kyiv back in 2022.
“‘All they have gone through, and the struggles, and yet, they are so successful now, more successful than some of our U.S. citizens,’ Rambis said. [...]
“‘It’s almost inhumane the tension that they are now suffering through in not knowing what’s going to happen,’ Rambis said. ‘They are professionals, they have businesses, this is the type of foundation that we need in our country, it’s what our country’s built on. No one should be living in fear in the United States like that.’”
Keith Mast (Greenville, North Carolina) in NC Newsline: Ukrainian refugees in North Carolina left in limbo as Trump considers ending parole
“For many Ukrainians in the U.S., those familial ties also extend to their host families, who they’ve grown deeply connected with in the past three years. Mast, who Yurii and Anastasiia call their ‘second Papa,’ said that regardless of what happens with the program, ‘we’re family,’ and he will remain in their life to help them however he can. ‘You do what you can for your family,’ he said.”
Bob and Carol Bartles (Burlington, Iowa) on KWQC-TV: Burlington couple sponsors Ukrainian families fleeing war, calls for action
“‘Up until now. Literally, today, people are losing their job because our government chooses not to process their work permits or renew their status,’ Bob explained. [...]
“‘We need the government to prioritize processing this paperwork,’ Bob said. ‘The program worked before. If we’re serious about helping people fleeing war, we need to make it work again.’”
Welcome.US has previously highlighted the voices of American sponsors calling for common-sense solutions to protect private sponsorship programs, here, here, and here.
About Welcome.US
Welcome.US is a national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans and American institutions from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here. By unleashing the power of our civil society, the compassion of the American people, and innovations in the private sector, we have transformed our national resettlement system. Americans in 12,000 zip codes and across all 50 states have raised their hands to welcome newcomers through safe, legal, and orderly pathways—providing support to newcomers and our communities to thrive together and strengthen local economies.
To learn more about Welcome.US, please visit Welcome.US.
