The Biden administration is considering extending temporary deportation relief to potentially thousands of Ukrainians who are currently in the U.S., CBS News said. The report came just hours after Sen. Robert Menendez called on the administration to designate Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) following brutal dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the independent nation.
“The war in Ukraine is exactly the type of crisis TPS was created for—to allow people to live and work in the United States when they are unable to return home safely,” the New Jersey senator tweeted on Thursday. “@POTUS, @SecBlinken, and @SecMayorkas should promptly designate Ukraine for #TPS.”
CBS News reports that as many as 30,000 Ukrainians currently in the U.S. could benefit from this kind of relief. “Potential beneficiaries could include Ukrainians with temporary U.S. visas, including students at American universities, as well as those without legal status.” Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse researcher Austin Kocher said roughly 3,000 Ukrainians who are in removal proceedings have pending asylum applications.
“The total number of Ukrainians in the United States who would benefit from TPS far exceed this, because many Ukrainians are in the US lawfully and not facing deportation, but they may still be forced to leave the country depending on the requirements of their visa,” he tweeted.
The federal government has discretion under federal law to designate countries for temporary status when extraordinary conditions, such as armed conflict, make returns unsafe.
Per CBS News’ report, the Biden administration is considering either a TPS or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) designation. “Although DED is not a specific immigration status, individuals covered by DED are not subject to removal from the United States for a designated period of time,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Like the reporting notes, these statuses would apply only to Ukrainians already here. Refugee resettlement agency Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service said that a full Russian invasion could produce at least one million refugees. In a statement, agency president Krish O’Mara Vignarajah urged the administration to “lead by example” and welcome displaced Ukrainians seeking refuge.
“The refugee resettlement system is precisely how we protect vulnerable populations, whether they are from Afghanistan or Ukraine,” she said. “The Biden administration’s increase of the refugee ceiling to 125,000 coupled with low refugee arrivals to date means there is ample room to welcome Ukrainians in search of safety. The administration must rebuild and streamline the refugee program’s processing capacity to prepare for this new humanitarian emergency.” Roll Call reported Thursday that White House Press Secretary Jenn Psaki “said President Joe Biden was ‘certainly prepared’ to accept Ukrainian refugees, but expects most will prefer to remain in Europe.”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said Thursday, “the humanitarian consequences on civilian populations will be devastating. There are no winners in war, but countless lives will be torn apart.” He said UNHCR is also “working with governments in neighboring countries, calling on them to keep borders open to those seeking safety and protection.”
On Thursday, Moldova president Maia Sandu tweeted images of temporary placement centers, writing that “our borders are open” for Ukrainian citizens. Earlier today, Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee tweeted she was “immediately lifting visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland.”
“I am appalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” McEntee said. “We stand with the Ukrainian people and we will play our part in assisting them in their time of need.” So must we.
