Trump administration suspends entry of immigrants: it concerns Ukrainians

The Trump administration has suspended the approval of immigrant applications. This also applies to the U4U programme, which has helped many Ukrainian military migrants settle in the US. Find out all about the US President's order and how it will affect Ukrainian migration
The New York Times reports that on 23 January, a senior US Citizenship and Immigration Services official sent a letter ordering the Department of Homeland Security to suspend a number of programmes that allowed emigrants from unstable areas to temporarily settle in the United States. ‘The Voice of Ukraine in America reports that the directive had the greatest impact on the evacuation of Afghans and the US military. However, the changes also affect the U4U programme - ‘Unity for Ukraine’ - which has allowed more than 100,000 Ukrainians to enter the United States. We have collected all the necessary details about Trump's political decision in this article.
What are the reactions to the changes in the US?
The New York Times points out that Trump's intention is to cut humanitarian programmes for the entry of immigrants. This primarily concerns refugees from unstable regions.
‘The scale of the programmes mentioned in this pause is enormous, and this decision will block the entry of immigrants fleeing some of the most unstable and desperate places in the world. In addition to Ukraine, which has been affected by years of war, these programmes have offered a pathway for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, among others,’ the newspaper writes.
Some politicians also opposed the President's initiative.
‘This is evidence of the administration's hostility to any humanitarian immigration,’ said Yael Shaher, director of the American and European offices of Refugees International.
‘The abrupt halt to refugee admissions is devastating for families who have already endured incredible hardship and have been waiting for years to rebuild their lives in safety,’ said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, head of Global Refuge, one of the 10 US resettlement agencies.
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What comments did the Trump administration make about the directive?
Trump administration officials have said that the president believes that many of these programmes were not legal to begin with. However, the officials did not provide any specifics.
In 2022, Biden announced the launch of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) programme, which allows Ukrainian citizens and their close relatives to come to the United States for a specified period of time with the right to work.
How will the President's decision affect the U4U programme?
Trump's decision also suspends the U4U Unite for Ukraine programme, a Biden initiative that allowed Ukrainian immigrants to temporarily enter the United States if they had financial sponsors. More than 150,000 Ukrainians entered the US under this programme. The US family reunification programme and the initiative for minors from Central America who have family members in the US have also been suspended.
More information about the U4U programme can be found here.
Please contact our migration lawyers if you have any difficulties!
Just a reminder! Earlier, we told you that the newly elected US President Donald Trump made a number of high-profile statements regarding domestic and foreign policy.
Photo: ArmyInform
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