187,000 Ukrainians Get A Reprieve From U.S. Deportation as War Rages

Forbes

15-06-2025

A major court decision has brought long-awaited relief to tens of thousands of Ukrainian U.S. immigrants who got relief to live in the U.S. under temporary protection. Many had been stuck for months without the ability to work or apply for legal status because of a government-imposed freeze on immigration processing. Now, after a federal judge ruled that pause unlawful, the U.S. government is restarting the process — allowing parolees to once again seek work permits, asylum, and more permanent immigration solutions.
But while this news is welcome, it comes against a darker backdrop: the United States, despite having promised to protect Ukraine's independence decades ago, has in recent months attempted to deport some Ukrainians back to a country still under active assault by Russia. And instead of supporting Ukraine as the victim of Russia's invasion of its sovereignty, the administration is outright supporting Russia as the aggressor.
The situation in Ukraine remains dire. Reports of war crimes, rapes, torture, and mass graves in places like Bucha, Irpyn, and other towns have shocked the world. Russian forces continue to occupy parts of Ukrainian territory, and the toll on civilians—especially women and children—grows daily. Yet, while the war grinds on, the U.S. government has attempted to strip protections from Ukrainians in the U.S. under temporary humanitarian programs, exposing them to the risk of deportation. This includes those who arrived through the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, launched in 2022 to offer temporary safety.
This effort has left many advocates and immigrants feeling betrayed, especially given America's 1994 commitment under the Budapest Memorandum, where the U.S., U.K., and Russia pledged to respect Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal—the third largest in the world—in exchange for that promise. Russia, which received the surrendered weapons, has flagrantly violated the deal. But critics say the U.S. is also falling short, not through bombs or invasion, but through immigration policy that undermines the very people fleeing that war.
In February 2025, the U.S. paused processing of immigration applications for people here on humanitarian parole, including U4U participants. That meant:
This left over 187,000 Ukrainian parolees in a dangerous legal limbo. Many were unable to renew documents or continue working — some were even placed into deportation proceedings. On May 28, a federal court ruled this freeze unlawful, siding with plaintiffs in a case called Svitlana Doe v. Noem. The judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to restart application processing. On June 9, USCIS issued internal guidance telling officers to resume working on backlogged cases. While new U4U sponsorships are still paused, existing parolees can now move forward again.
These numbers represent real people: children in school, parents holding jobs, soldiers' families who fled Russian bombs. Many are now hoping to finally get decisions on their cases — decisions that could mean safety, stability, and legal status.
With the court's ruling in place, parolees in the U.S. can once again apply for:
Applications will be reviewed after additional security vetting. Interviews that were previously canceled may now be rescheduled.
While the court decision is good news, there are still big challenges:
In fact, just days after the court's May 28 ruling, the Trump administration (in its ongoing legal battle) asked the court to throw out the decision—arguing that Ukrainian sponsors had no right to sue, and that deportation wasn't a real threat. That argument rings hollow to many Ukrainians and Americans alike. It ignores the reality that returning someone to a war zone where civilian apartment blocks are being shelled is not a policy—it's a moral failure.
This matter is part of the overall discontent that was displayed as hundreds of thousands of people in America demonstrated Saturday against Trump immigration policies in cities across the country while in Washington the American Army marched in a parade to mark their 250th birthday and President Trump marked his 78th birthday. In the days ahead the debate over what is the proper immigration policy for American to follow in general, not just for Ukrainians, will be at the forefront of considerations in Congress. Meanwhile President Trump has travelled to Canada to attend the G-7 meeting and deal with security issues such as the Middle East and Ukraine while keeping an eye on immigration issues back home.
This moment is a test of America's moral compass. The U.S. once asked Ukraine to trade its nukes for a promise of peace. Now, Ukrainians are asking America to keep that promise—not with weapons, but with compassion and lawful protection. For over 187,000 Ukrainians here, this ruling which gave Ukrainian U.S. immigrations relief from deportation a ray of hope. But it's also a reminder that immigration is not just policy — it's people. And behind every application is a family fleeing a war the world promised to help them survive. Now is the time to act — apply, renew, and speak up. Because history will remember not only what Russia did to Ukraine, but what the world did—or didn't do—in response.