In a significant shift from the Biden administration’s welcoming stance, former US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is considering revoking the temporary legal status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled the conflict with Russia. This decision, should it be made, could lead to their rapid deportation. According to Reuters, the Trump administration is planning to take this action, marking a complete reversal of the policies that had been in place under President Biden.
Trump expressed his thoughts on the matter during a press inquiry in the Oval Office, stating, “We don’t want to hurt anyone, and we certainly don’t want to hurt them. I’m considering it.” He further mentioned that there are varying opinions on the issue, and a decision will be made soon. High-ranking officials within the Trump administration and three other sources close to the situation have revealed to Reuters that the plan to revoke the Ukrainians’ protected status is part of a broader effort to eliminate the legal status of over 1.8 million migrants who were allowed to enter the US under a temporary humanitarian relief program initiated during the Biden administration.
Additionally, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to revoke the protected status of around 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela by the end of the month, as first reported by CBS News. An internal email from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) obtained by Reuters indicates that migrants whose protected status is revoked may face expedited deportation proceedings.
The program introduced by the Biden administration aimed to provide a temporary legal pathway to prevent illegal immigration and offer humanitarian assistance. Besides the 240,000 Ukrainians who escaped the Russian invasion, and the 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, these programs also cover over 70,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover.
Andriy Dobriansky, the director of communications for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “Many of these people have no home to return to. We’re talking about people whose entire cities have been destroyed. Where are we going to send them back to? There’s nothing left.” The potential revocation of protected status for these refugees raises significant concerns about their future and the implications of such a decision on US immigration policies and humanitarian efforts.