Trump Admin Mistakenly Threatens To Deport Ukrainian Refugees: ‘Depart’
16 hours ago
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A U.S. government email that told Ukrainian refugees that their status had been revoked was sent by mistake.
Ukrainians who had fled to the U.S. from Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion under a program created by the previous Joe Biden administration, had been informed this week that they would have to leave the country within seven days, according to Reuters.
But the Department of Homeland Security later said that the message had been sent in error.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for further comment.
This illustrative image from December 10, 2022 shows Ukrainians and supporters attend a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Times Square. This illustrative image from December 10, 2022 shows Ukrainians and supporters attend a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Times Square. Leonardo Munoz/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Reuters reported in March that the Donald Trump administration was planning to revoke temporary legal status for 240,000 Ukrainians who had entered the U.S. since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Although the Department of Homeland Security has said the email that was reported this week was a mistake, it is likely to raise concerns among the nearly quarter of a million Ukrainians who have fled to the U.S. about their status under the Trump administration.
What to Know
Many Ukrainians who were in the U.S. legally under the humanitarian parole program introduced by Biden were sent an email this week informing them they had seven days to leave the country.
The instructions and the tone of the email upset many, according to Reuters, as it outlined how if those under the program did not leave immediately, they would be subject to potential law enforcement actions. They were also told that the “federal government will find you.”
One Ukrainian parolee whose immigration status was valid until next year, told the news agency she cried uncontrollably when she got the message.
Angela Boelens, president of IA NICE, a nonprofit in Iowa that has sponsored Ukrainians, said she knew of at least two women who received the letter, one of whom is pregnant, and that it had caused “complete panic” among families.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the email had been sent in error and that the Ukrainian parole program had not been terminated.
What People Are Saying
Department of Homeland Security April 3, 2025, as reported by Reuters: “If you do not depart the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States…Again, DHS is terminating your parole. Do not attempt to remain in the United States.”
Department of Homeland Security in a message sent on April 4, 2025: “The terms of your parole as originally issued remain unchanged at this time.”
Angela Boelens, president of IA NICE: “It’s a very scary email. All of my families are in complete panic.”
What Happens Next
The message from the U.S. government is that the Ukrainians under the program can stay in the country for the time being. However, Trump said in March he would soon decide whether to revoke temporary legal status for Ukrainians and it is unclear when or if his administration would take this step.
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