Americans who once found refuge in the U.S., Ukrainians now face the prospect of losing their employment, anxiously fearing they may have to depart the country.

In the wake of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program, approximately 280,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in the United States. These individuals, who were given two years of humanitarian parole, now face an uncertain future as their work authorizations expire.

Under the U4U program, Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members were paroled into the United States. However, the decision on the renewal of this humanitarian parole is made by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS allows certain Ukrainian citizens to request a new period of parole (also known as re-parole) for up to two additional years, but the process has left many in limbo.

Angela Boelens, who sponsored several Ukrainians, expresses her guilt and heartbreak for the Iowans who brought Ukrainians to the US. She states that policymakers may not fully understand the complexity of the problem. Boelens also expresses regret, stating that she never would have sponsored Ukrainians if she had known the uncertain future of the program.

Two Ukrainian families, Natalia and Tatiania, are among those uncertain about their future in the US. Both families applied for temporary protected status (TPS), but they say they have not heard back. Their work authorizations have expired, and they have had to leave their jobs.

Tatiana, fearing the possibility of having to return to Ukraine, states that there are no countries in Europe that can take all the people from the US. If forced to leave, she believes there is no safe haven for them.

Natalia and Tatiania express frustration about the uncertainty of their legal status in the US. They came to the US under the U4U program, seeking safety and a better life. However, the lack of information and the expiration of their work authorizations have made their lives difficult.

Boelens describes the Ukrainian program as a legal, practical program to help build small communities and do the right thing for people in Ukraine. She, along with other American advocates who sponsored Ukrainians, are still lobbying lawmakers and the administration to take action.

Requests for re-parole will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and aliens need to demonstrate that urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit justify their continued presence in the US and that they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.

Thousands of Ukrainians, including Natalia and Tatiania, are hoping for a favourable decision, as they face the prospect of uprooting their lives and returning to a country they fear due to the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.