Without the right to return: 120,000 Ukrainians in the US may lose protection

As early as August 15, tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have found asylum in the United States could find themselves without legal protection — unless the Trump administration intervenes. This would mean they would be at risk of arrest or deportation.

According to The Wall Street Journal , vulnerable status is at risk for about 120,000 people who arrived in the United States in the past two years under the Biden administration’s “United for Ukraine” program. This program provided for two-year humanitarian protection (humanitarian parole), which granted status subject to the presence of a private sponsor from the American side.

In contrast, the traditional U.S. asylum system can last for years, so the rapid protection program was a compromise. In particular, its participants remained legally, but their status was easily lost — especially in the absence of an extension or change in policy.

In November 2024, Trump closed the program, stopping issuing extensions to participants. As a result, those 120,000 people who arrived after August 16, 2023, find themselves in the United States without documentation once their status expires.

At the same time, about 250,000 Ukrainians with permits issued before August 16, 2023, have other protection — temporary protected status (TPS), which gives them the right to reside and work.

Trump previously stated that he might allow Ukrainians to stay in the country until the war is over: “We have a lot of people coming from Ukraine, and we are working with them.”

Vera Serova, a volunteer lawyer with Nova Ukraine, warns that without legal status, Ukrainians will find themselves in extreme hardship. “Many have nowhere to go or no money to move and start their lives anew,” she says.

Recall, earlier, United States President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war will be able to remain in the United States until the full-scale Russian invasion is completed.

As reported, the German government is preparing legislative changes that would reduce social assistance for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country after April 1, 2025.

In addition, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Ukrainian refugees in the country receive more generous assistance than unemployed Hungarians, and did not rule out limiting financial support in the future.

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