Ukrainian and Six Other Countries’ Immigrants Challenge Federal Government’s Parole Restrictions in Lawsuit

March 3, 2025 TruthUSA

The government has ceased processing parole applications.

According to a recent lawsuit, the federal government’s decision to restrict humanitarian parole for immigrants from Ukraine and other nations is unlawful and should be reversed.

During the previous administration, over one million immigrants were granted parole within a four-year timeframe. In January, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorized a reevaluation of parole for immigrants, which included rescinding parole protections for certain individuals. Subsequently, officials suspended the processing of immigration benefits for immigrants paroled under congressionally created programs like Uniting for Ukraine, designed to assist Ukrainians displaced by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Citizens from Ukraine and other nations argue that these actions breach federal law, and they implored a federal court in Massachusetts on February 28 to promptly compel officials to resume processing parole applications.

The plaintiffs contend that they delayed their arrival in the U.S. until a legal pathway was established, but they are now being unlawfully obstructed from utilizing the Uniting for Ukraine program and similar initiatives.

The lawsuit asserts that the suspension “is contrary to the laws enacted by Congress that govern these immigration benefit applications.”

“Humanitarian parole has been critical for individuals seeking safe reunification with their loved ones or family members in the U.S. within an otherwise nearly impossible system,” stated Anwen Hughes, director of legal strategy at Human Rights First, which is assisting in representing the plaintiffs. “We cannot allow the Trump administration to eliminate one of the last remaining viable pathways to safety in this country.”

The U.S. Department of Justice, which provides legal representation for government agencies, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has curtailed parole, did not respond to early morning inquiries for comments.

In a law enacted in 1952, Congress empowered the Executive Branch to grant parole, permitting noncitizens to temporarily enter the United States “on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” Those granted parole can work while they seek more permanent legal status.

Presidents from both parties have utilized this authority over the years, though former President Joe Biden applied it more frequently than his predecessors, paroling over 1.5 million individuals under expansive programs that critics argue lacked the necessary case-by-case assessment.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump directed officials to terminate “all categorical parole programs that contradict the policies of the United States as established in my Executive Orders,” which included programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.

Alongside immigrants who arrived in the United States via parole, several U.S. citizens who sponsored these immigrants are also among the plaintiffs.

“There is no justifiable reason for the administration to end humanitarian parole, especially since it has proven effective time and time again. My beneficiaries and I adhered to all rules set forth by the U.S. government, including a stringent application and vetting process,” commented Kyle Varner, one of the sponsors. “Now, the government is turning its back on us and altering the terms.”

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