The Trump administration admitted on April 4 that it had erroneously notified certain Ukrainian refugees that their legal standing in the United States had been rescinded and that they were required to depart at once, according to CBS News.
The Ministry of Public Safety clarified for the media outlet The emails sent to the refugees were mistakenly sent due to confusion surrounding the legal safeguards provided to Ukrainians as per the policies of the Biden administration.
Earlier this week, multiple Ukrainians who had entered the United States following Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine got messages stating that their lawful status would be revoked. The communication, dated April 3, notified the recipients that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was “choosing to discontinue” their parole—a provisional legal standing provided by the Biden administration for individuals affected by the conflict. The message cautioned that unless the parole ended earlier, it would conclude within seven days from when the notification was issued.
No prompt details were available regarding the number of Ukrainians who got the notification.
The United States' Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) initiative facilitated the entry of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians into America based on humanitarian considerations. Following the onset of the conflict, over 20,000 Ukrainians arrived via Mexico. Under this program, these individuals received temporary authorization to work along with protection from deportation.
The notification further specified that work permits would be rescinded upon termination of parole status and encouraged recipients to willingly depart from the U.S. through a government application named CBP Home, originally designed but now repurposed under the Trump administration for facilitating voluntary departure. The document read, “Once more, DHS is ending your parole. Refrain from staying within the United States—the federal authorities will locate you.”
The DHS subsequently informed CBS News that the termination notices were issued erroneously, and they affirmed that the U4U program remained intact and was still operational.
Although the Trump administration hasn't formally terminated the U4U initiative, they have halted new admissions and extensions of status. Nonetheless, advocates are still worried that DHS could try to revoke legal safeguards for Ukrainians down the line, particularly considering the administration’s ongoing extensive efforts to restrict both unauthorized and authorized immigration policies.
Read also: Why I'm Departing Trump's America—historian Marci Shore