WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-era protections that allowed thousands of Ukrainian refugees to remain in the U.S. may soon be rescinded under the Trump administration, potentially exposing them to deportation, according to a senior Trump official and multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The policy shift, expected as early as April, marks a stark departure from the previous administration’s stance, which had extended humanitarian parole to Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.
The change is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to dismantle immigration programs established under President Joe Biden, which have granted temporary legal status to over 1.8 million migrants.
The move was already in progress before Trump’s recent public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, sources said.
However, it underscores the administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigration, including efforts to revoke legal protections for approximately 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.
The administration has pushed back on reports of an imminent decision. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that “no decision has been made at this time.”
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson similarly stated that there were no new announcements.
Yet, an executive order signed by Trump on January 20 directed DHS to terminate all categorical parole programs, setting the stage for widespread revocations.
Internal communications from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reviewed by Reuters, suggest that migrants losing their parole status could be fast-tracked for deportation.
While immigrants who enter illegally face expedited removal within two years, those who arrived through legal ports of entry under parole—such as the Ukrainians—could be deported at any time, the internal email indicated.
For many refugees, the uncertainty is already taking a toll. Liana Avetisian, who fled Kyiv with her husband and daughter in May 2023, settled in DeWitt, Iowa.
They purchased a home and built new lives—she assembles windows while her husband works in construction.
Their parole and work permits expire in May. The family has spent $4,000 on renewal applications and Temporary Protected Status filings, but with Trump’s immigration orders in place, their fate is unclear.
“We don’t know what to do,” Avetisian said, adding that the stress has given her frequent headaches.
The rollback extends beyond Ukrainians. The Biden administration’s parole programs also provided protection to more than 70,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban’s takeover.
They, too, are now at risk of losing their legal status.
For Rafi, a former Afghan intelligence officer who worked alongside U.S. forces, the consequences have already arrived.
After entering the U.S. legally in January 2024 through the CBP One mobile app, he was granted temporary humanitarian parole.
Last month, during a routine ICE check-in in Virginia, his status was revoked, and he was detained.
“I have broken no law,” Rafi said in a phone call from detention. “When someone stands shoulder to shoulder with American troops and puts his life in danger… I wasn’t expecting this.”
His lawyer has appealed for his release, citing his lack of a criminal record and an active asylum case. ICE declined the request.
“The priorities that you mentioned in your email ended on January 20, 2025,” wrote James Mullan, assistant field office director at ICE’s Washington field office, referencing the day Trump took office.
