On Thursday, March 6, 2025, in remarks to reporters, President Trump said he would soon make a decision about the future of the temporary legal status the United States has made available to Ukrainians since 2022. Revoking the temporary legal status would directly affect approximately 240,000 Ukrainians in the United States. At the time of this reporting, no official announcements have been made.
What They’re Saying:
- President Trump said, “We’re not looking to hurt anybody, we’re certainly not looking to hurt them, and I’m looking at that. There were some people that think that’s appropriate, and some people don’t, and I’ll be making the decision pretty soon.”
- According to a Reuters report, the White House could revoke the temporary status for Ukrainians as early as April 2025.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted regarding the Ukraine reports, “This is more fake news from Reuters based on anonymous sources who have no idea what they are talking about. The truth: no decision has been made at this time. no decision has been made at this time.”
- Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that DHS had no new announcements.
Following the inauguration on January 20 and the president’s executive order Protecting The American People Against Invasion, DHS has begun to undo the temporary legal status the Biden administration granted to more than 1.8 million migrants through various humanitarian parole programs, including Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Uniting for Ukraine, and Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV).
What to Watch For:
- If a migrant loses their parole status, and they have not gained an alternative legal status in the time they have been in the United States, they could face deportation proceedings.
- On February 28, 2025, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum regarding the issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens. Effective immediately, USCIS will no longer exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement, which includes referring cases to ICE and issuance of NTAs.
This policy memo is similar to a policy memo issued in 2018 by the first Trump administration and later revoked by the Biden administration. The difference between this 2025 memo and the 2018 memo, is the exemption for employment-based petition beneficiaries.
How to Remain Prepared:
- Visa holders should know where their passport and relevant immigration documents (I-797, EAD, Advance Parole, I-20s) are located at all times. Visa holders should also have a picture of these documents on their phone as a backup.
- If visa holders encounter hostile ICE officers at a workplace, public space (restaurant/movie theater), place of worship, public transportation, school campus, etc., the best way to protect their rights is to stay silent and ask for an attorney.
- Any information a visa holder gives ICE can be used against him/her/them later.
- Detained individuals have the right to consult with a lawyer, noting the government is not obligated to provide one.
- Detained individuals also have the right to make a private phone call, and the police/ICE cannot listen to calls made to a lawyer.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.