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U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration plans to revoke temporary legal status from about 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, potentially allowing them to quickly deport.
The move is expected in April, which will be a stunning reversal of the welcome Ukrainians that President Joe Biden’s administration has received.
The plan to protect Ukrainians backfire before Trump openly argued with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week. Sources say it is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to deprive legal status from more than 1.8 million immigrants, part of entering the U.S. under a temporary humanitarian parole program initiated by the Biden administration.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, said there is no announcement yet. The White House and the Ukrainian Embassy did not respond to requests for comment.
The Trump executive order issued on January 20 calls on the Department of Homeland Security to “terminate all classified parole programs.”
Trump officials and a source familiar with the matter said the government plans to remove parole from about 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans as soon as possible this month, asking for anonymous discussion of internal deliberations. CBS News first reported on plans to revoke parole for these nations.
Immigrants deprived of parole status may face rapid deportation procedures, according to Reuters’ internal ice email.
Immigrants who illegally cross the border can enter the rapid deportation process, called the accelerated evacuation process, which they entered two years later. However, for those who enter through legal ports of entry without formally “admitting” the United States (as with those on parole), there is no time limit for their quick removal.
Biden’s plan is part of a broader effort to establish temporary legal avenues to block illegal immigration and provide humanitarian relief.
In addition to the 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion, as well as 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, the plans also cover more than 70,000 Afghans, escaped the Taliban taking over Afghanistan.
Another 1 million immigrants arranged for time to cross the legal border through an app called CBP ONE.
There are thousands of people who can use smaller programs, including parole for family reunion for some people in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Trump, as a candidate, promised to end Biden’s plan, saying they are beyond the scope of U.S. law.
The Trump administration stopped processing immigration-related applications for people entering the United States on certain Biden’s parole programs last month.
