Trump Contemplates Revoking Protected Status for Ukrainians in the U.S.
The president stated that a conclusive decision regarding the situation impacting 240,000 Ukrainians in the nation has not yet been reached.
On March 6, President Donald Trump mentioned that he is contemplating the possibility of rescinding the temporary protected status for numerous Ukrainians who sought refuge in the United States due to the ongoing war in their homeland against Russia.
Trump emphasized that his administration is still deliberating on the issue.
“We don’t want to harm anyone, and we certainly don’t want to harm them,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’m looking into it, and there are differing opinions on whether it’s suitable, and I plan to make a decision soon.”
The president acknowledged that Ukrainians have endured significant hardships since the onset of the war.
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President Joe Biden has broadened these types of programs to establish temporary legal pathways, utilizing them as a form of humanitarian aid.
Trump campaigned on abolishing such programs, arguing that they exceed the boundaries set by U.S. law.
Additionally, his administration has taken steps to limit temporary legal pathways, such as halting the refugee program and the temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who initiated the Venezuelan suspensions on January 28, stated that this action demonstrates that “we will not adhere to what [Biden] did to restrict our actions; we aim to assess all individuals present in our country, including the Venezuelans here.”
Trump’s consideration regarding the discontinuation of Ukrainians’ temporary protected status arises amidst his administration’s critical negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a plan for a cease-fire to conclude the conflict in Ukraine.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.