President Donald Trump is planning to revoke the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainians who fled to the US following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to a Reuters report citing sources, the move would potentially pave the way for their deportation.
This comes following the explosive spat between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that happened at the White House on February 28. The move would be part of the broader effort to strip the legal status of over 1.8 million migrants that were allowed to enter the US on humanitarian grounds under the Biden administration, the report said.
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The move would further widen the rift between the countries. US has already paused military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv recently.
US denies claims
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refuted the Reuters report calling it “fake news”, claiming that no such decision has been made.
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“This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about,” she wrote on X, adding, “The truth: no decision has been made at this time.”
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin on Wednesday (Mar 5) states there are no new announcements by the department.
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Trump issued an executive order on January 20 as he took office which directed DHS to “terminate all categorical parole programs.”
Fast-track deportation
Migrants stripped of their parole status could be fast-tracked for deportation proceedings, reported Reuters citing an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) email.
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Trump has rolled back several programs that started under the Biden administration, claiming they went beyond the bounds of US law.
Trump removed the protection of Ukrainian and other refugees soon after taking office for his second term in the White House. He suspended the Uniting for Ukraine program by late January. The program allowed Ukrainians to stay, work and receive health insurance in the US for up to two years.
(With inputs from agencies)